Container Security with Geographic Information System
P&O for $6.8 billion, which included the management of 6 US ports. Due to security concerns posed by the United States, DP World eventually turned its US-based operations to a US entity.
However, the acquisition of P&O has made DP world a top three global port operator [6]. DP World continues its expansion, most notably in Asia. Currently, the Dubai-based company operates container berths at six ports in China with a combined throughput of about 11 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), according to the Gulf News web site [7]. In June 2006, it announced the construction of a container port in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam and agreed to invest in a new terminal in Tianjin, China [8, 9].
The challenge of facing the tremendous growth in containers entering and exiting ports exists worldwide. According to the DP World web site, in 2004, Dubai Ports handled a throughput of 6.42 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), which was a growth of 24.6 percent over its handlings in 2003 [10]. In 2004, it ranked the world’s 10th largest port and also, the third fastest growing port [10].
Debated issues include hiring more people to manually inspect containers, collaborating with other countries to keep the containers safe before they leave the ports, and implementing new technologies to ensure safety and security.
The Geographic Information System for Simulating Container Movement (GISSCM) focuses on the technological aspect of tracking the millions of containers entering the United States with the purpose of security in preventing illegal activities, tampering of merchandise and theft. The GIS has been created to demonstrate that users can monitor the worldwide transportation of containers traveling to and within the United States. The tracking would follow the container as it makes its trip via ship, truck and/or train. A prototype of the GISSCM was designed with a user friendly, visual interface that allows the user to monitor the containers as well as analyze and manage relevant information pertaining to each container. In addition, it is planned that the user will be able to receive alerts for selected containers and for containers that have unexpectedly left their intended paths. The GIS will benefit both the government and businesses in assuring safety as well as preventing theft and loss of merchandise.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) AND THE GISSCM
In general, a Geographic Information System (GIS), in conjunction with a Global Positioning System or radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, can track and organize data, signal alerts when a container strays from its designated path and/or allow for the monitoring of selected “high risk” contents. A well-organized GIS can aid in the safety and security of containers as they travel at seas as well as on land. The prototype of the GISSCM is the first step toward a system like that.
The current version of the GISSCM displays spatial information with the capability of retrieving, analyzing, modeling and managing its data. The feature that makes this information system unique is its ability to represent and process information in a referenced geographic space. In other words, “the data are registered to an accepted geographical coordinate system of Earth’s surface, so that data from different sources can be cross-referenced and integrated” [11]. The data are organized into layers representing objects such as cities, road networks and rivers, with the attributes for each entity in the data layers stored in a separate table or database. This table is linked to the spatial data by a unique identifier found in both. The Geographic Information System’s capabilities, in general, are the ideal tools to be used in tracking the shipping containers’ coordinates as well as their particular content.
As a container travels to its destination via ship, truck and/or rail, it usually follows a pre-determined route. However, if it starts to deviate from its intended path, an alert can be initiated through a wireless network or wireless system. Then, the contents of the strayed container may be checked and compared with the attribute table of the GIS to ensure the contents are accurate. This functionality is not included in the current prototype; however, it can be implemented in future versions of the system.
COMPONENTS OF THE GISSCM
There are four components of the GISSCM: the GIS Visualization Component, the GIS Container Database, the Simulation Program and the Visualization of the Simulation. The utilization of these components result in a user-friendly, graphical interface that allow the monitoring of containers coming from overseas to the United States in real time. Also, the GISSCM will follow the containers’ paths inside of the United States as they make their way to their destinations via ship, truck and/or train.
The GIS Visualization Component consists of world maps of the land and sea surface, including the major foreign container ports. Also, the Visualization Component has the map of the United States with all major container ports of the US. In addition, it maps the major shipping routes to and from the United States as well as at least 10 major interstates connecting the ports and the major cities within the United States.
The GIS Container Database is an attribute database with the following information: 1) Data field for the location of the container with an X, Y coordinate 2) Data fields for the content of the container 3) Data fields for customs information and 4) data fields with information about the shipper. Additional data fields might be developed if found necessary during the development of the GIS.