BPA Completes Construction of Digital Twin-Based Comprehensive Port Pilot Boat Management System

Digital Technology for Efficient Ship Management: Equipment Inspection and Parts Durability Pre-Notification

Future Expansion and Operation of Digital Integrated Management Systems for Autonomous and Electric Propulsion Ships

Busan Port Authority (BPA) is establishing a comprehensive management system for port pilot boats based on digital twin technology and has begun pilot operations.

Busan Port Authority employees demonstrating the Digital Twin Integrated Management System.

Since 2005, BPA has been operating the Busan Port pilot boat (Saenuriho, 56t) and manually managing preservation information related to vessel operation such as boarding personnel and route information, hull equipment management, and parts inspection.

Since last year, BPA has been working on improving the pilot boat management system by designing the digital twin concept, deriving functional elements, and building a database on operational performance and parts cycles, completing the construction of a digital twin-based comprehensive management system in mid-February this year.

Digital twin refers to a technology that creates an identical object (twin) in a virtual space to the real one and verifies it through various simulations.

The core function of this system, "vessel preservation management," intelligently manages the lifecycle of ship parts and equipment inspections, notifying in advance when parts need replacement.

Equipment inspection lists and inspection logs can also be digitally recorded, enabling more efficient management.

For electric propulsion vessels that BPA plans to introduce in the future, power efficiency, remaining battery capacity, and parts management are essential for safe navigation, and this system enables preventive maintenance including parts and equipment management.

Additionally, boarding personnel and passenger information, which were previously managed manually, are now automatically linked to the newly established comprehensive management system, allowing convenient digital management, and navigation logs can be created and stored directly within this system.

Furthermore, pilot boat route information using GPS and AIS (Automatic Identification System) is automatically saved, enabling optimized route management and operation according to boarding targets and purposes.

BPA plans to accelerate the development of digital management systems for autonomous vessels, starting with the establishment of this comprehensive management system for port pilot boats.

BPA, in collaboration with IPLMS (CEO Odongseok), plans to introduce and actively promote this system to other domestic and overseas ports.

Digital twin system screen. (3D component lifecycle monitoring)

Kang Junseok, President of BPA, stated, “We expect that the establishment of the digital twin comprehensive management system for port pilot boats will greatly improve work efficiency and navigation safety,” adding, “Recently, applying digital technologies such as RPA (Robotic Process Automation) to reduce simple repetitive tasks and enhance corporate competitiveness is a global trend, and BPA will continue to enhance competitiveness by applying technological innovation in various fields.”