During container handling operations, the boom of a Ship-to-Shore (STS) crane must move above the container vessel to facilitate loading and unloading activities. During crane travel movement, the boom moves horizontally together with the crane travel mechanism.

However, high structures on vessels, such as funnels, antennas and other elevated obstacles, may exceed the normal operating height clearance of the boom. In addition, due to limited visibility caused by the crane structure, operators cannot fully monitor surrounding obstacles in all directions. Therefore, there is a potential risk of collision between the boom and external obstacles.

Once a collision occurs, it may not only cause serious damage to the STS crane or even lead to crane instability, but also pose a significant safety threat to the vessel. Therefore, an effective safety protection system is required to continuously monitor approaching vessels or other obstacles that may interfere with the crane boom and provide timely warnings.

This project adopts a LiDAR-based boom anti-collision solution. The laser scanner continuously emits laser pulses, and the rotating optical mechanism directs the laser beams in different directions at predefined angular intervals, creating a two-dimensional scanning plane based on radial coordinates.

Within the scanning area, multiple detection zones with different shapes and safety levels can be configured. When an object enters a predefined detection zone, the system outputs corresponding signals. Before a collision occurs between the vessel and the boom, the system provides early warning or emergency stop commands to prevent potential accidents.

The LiDAR scanner used in this project is a high-resolution single-layer measurement-grade laser scanner with excellent angular resolution. It is particularly suitable for detecting small-sized targets and provides superior performance in applications requiring static object recognition, shape identification and volume measurement.

Zhangzhou Merchants wharf girder anti-collision system installation