IoT Time

Hutchison Ports’ Port of Felixstowe has announced becoming the largest UK port to deploy 5G and IoT technology, in partnership with mobile operator Three UK (3), Blue Mesh Solutions and the University of Cambridge via grant funding under the 5G Testbeds & Trials programme run by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The project seeks to deliver on two use cases: predictive maintenance of quay cranes using IoT sensors and providing communications for remote control yard cranes. IoT sensors are fitted to quay cranes to monitor the stresses and strains placed on them by day-to-day operation. Using 5G to transmit the data enables these systems to operate in real-time to support safety-critical applications. Using the data generated by the IoT sensors and linking it to the actual activity on the crane, together with previous maintenance records, Cambridge University is developing an algorithm to predict equipment failure and suggest the optimum time to maintain the equipment. The project is due to complete in September 2022.