Calling the project "Tolkien" is certainly a clever move – even if it's not about J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world in "The Lord of the Rings." The "hobbits" here, so to speak, are Andreas Gade and Daniel Scheible from Fraunhofer IML, who have developed a digital twin for ports.
Shortly before the end of the research project, which is scheduled for February 2026, the development work and data evaluations at Fraunhofer IML are currently being completed successively.
The digital twin being developed in "Tolkien" aims to create a data and information foundation to enable the participating port operators to make strategic and data-driven decisions. According to the IML, the digital twin also offers added value to port businesses in their operational and tactical management.
Added value in day-to-day operations
At the start of the project, three business scenarios were initially defined (“digital waterside traffic recording”, “digital traffic recording of the port railway” and “emission monitoring of a logistics area”) and supplemented by a fourth scenario (“digital roadside traffic recording”) in the port of Trier.
Photos (2): Port of Trier
This scenario emerged from the DiVer-HT project, funded by the Digital Test Fields in Ports (DigiTest) program, through the installation and connection of cameras along the port railway and road infrastructure. The camera technology enables traffic analysis at two road junctions within the port, allowing for the identification of traffic volumes and peak times, for example. This provides a transparent overview of traffic patterns.
Automated processes
As part of the Trier port railway scenario, an email service was put into operation, which automatically informs port residents about train arrivals and departures shortly after passing through the rail OCR gate via wagon and container numbers, which has an impact on operational processes.
To increase emissions transparency, extensive traffic and environmental data from the Duisburg port areas, collected by sensors installed by duisport's DigiTest project Setri, were continuously evaluated.
This allows for location-based analyses of air pollutants, analysis of traffic patterns, and data-based recording of area-specific traffic flows to create transparency and support the development of recommendations for action.
The work is rounded off by the analysis of waterborne traffic based on AIS data. The findings will be used, similarly to road and rail traffic, to identify traffic peaks, pinpoint bottlenecks, and create transparency.
Robust sensor database
The Tolkien project has resulted in a robust sensor database covering road, rail, waterway, and environmental parameters – serving as a basis for data-driven decisions in inland ports. Project partners include Duisburger Hafen AG, Trierer Hafengesellschaft mbH, NautilusLog GmbH, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML..
