The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) implements AllRead’s OCR software to optimize traceability at 22 checkpoints for road and 2 for railways at the port. The collaboration with AllRead started in 2020 within the “Journey of Innovation“ program promoted by APBA.
Advanced Port Traffic Monitoring
Thanks to AllRead’s computer vision solution, the APBA expands real-time monitoring and supervision of the port’s traffic without interruptions in the flow of vehicles and goods. This system processes images from video surveillance cameras using artificial intelligence algorithms, extracting key information such as wagon and container numbers, license plates and vehicle types, integrating them into the Port’s information management system.
A Complex and Demanding Environment
The Port of Algeciras, due to its size and strategic location, handles a high flow of vehicles with diverse origins and destinations, including the Maghreb, which creates a challenging environment for the identification of vehicles and goods. The objective of this new system is to achieve automatic and real-time identification of license plates of light and heavy vehicles, both European and Moroccan, as well as trailers, maritime containers and railroad wagons.
The accesses monitored with AllRead’s software include the entry and exit of vehicles and goods through the port’s North and South Access (11 control points), the accesses to embarkation and disembarkation areas for Ceuta and Tangier (4 control points) and the entry and exit of trains at the “Isla Verde” rail-port terminal (2 control points). [READ MORE ABOUT IT]
Leveraging Advances in Computer Vision
The collaboration between AllRead and APBA began in 2020, when the Startup, founded in 2019, proposed an innovative solution for port access control, significantly reducing hardware requirements thanks to artificial intelligence and deep neural networks. An initial proof of concept used a single camera to detect and digitize information of interest, exceeding expectations and providing correct readings despite difficult angles and damage. In this sense, AllRead differs from typical OCR installations consisting of a galvanized steel portal, 4 to 8 cameras, LED lighting panels, infrared light sources, inductive trigger sensors etc, which involve considerably higher installation and maintenance costs.
“The traceability of the goods and of the different means of transport are key to ensure the operational excellence of the Port of Algeciras. AllRead’s solution allows us to obtain very accurate data with very reasonable infrastructure requirements.”
Jesus Medina Blanco, Chief Information & Innovation Officer at Algeciras Port Authority.
Adriaan Landman, Chief Operations Officer at AllRead, commented: “Our lightweight and accurate solution enables a deployment of this scale without a financial burden for the Port”.
Project Expansion
With the positive results obtained in the initial tests, APBA is now expanding the implementation to 24 checkpoints in the port, both road and rail, representing a high proportion of the port’s accesses and vehicle traffic volume. It is fully integrated with APBA’s Corporate Platform for Systems Integration (PCIS), ensuring a seamless data flow and optimal operational compatibility. The system is already in production at 8 checkpoints and 16 are on track until the first quarter of 2025.
Follow us and subscribe to our newsletter
To keep up to date with AllRead news, subscribe to our newsletter. You will regularly receive the most relevant content and news from our blog in your email inbox.
Follow us also on our social profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.