Port terminal planning + simulation. Integration and virtual reality support

Virtual reality visualization gives every stakeholder - manager or technician - the possibility to contribute to an optimal planning solution. With Fraunhofer CMLs solution, visualization is ready at any time for the planned port terminal. The second benefit of the solution is that data generated during planning with various software products can be passed on between the products without data loss or errors. The approach involves a middleware that enables all data to be stored in a database. For the research project "GREEN EFFORTS" (http://www.green-efforts.eu/), cofounded by the European Commission, a system design for a reference container terminal was developed. The planning process for this terminal will be shown using the virtual reality support and the middleware. Using the middleware resulted in a faster planning process. Solutions for once solved subproblems can now be reused and applied for other problems. Visualization of current planning status is ready at any time.