The Dutch waterways are playing an increasingly important role in goods traffic, and the expectation is that they will be used more and more intensively in future. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control and operate bridges and locks via on-site personnel. The solution to this problem is to centralize the operational control of these bridges and locks. The Water segment within the Industrial Automation vertical has developed an innovative solution to do just that: Waterway Optimizer. This system not only reduces costs but also controls and manages transport flows efficiently and effectively while ensuring the safety of all parties concerned.
Depending upon the format and complexity of a bridge or lock, the system consists of fewer or more subsystems and communication technologies, ranging from a simple red or green traffic light for a boat in the lock to a complete range of camera, marine telephone, computer and radar systems. Waterway Optimizer integrates these technologies into a single central control unit or room.