A cargo container loading and unloading system for a transportation system, the cargo container loading and unloading system including a loading zone; and at least one opening connecting the loading zone to a transportation tube of the transportation system.

The present disclosure provides a ship unloading control system, a ship loading control system and related systems and apparatuses, capable of achieving fully automated ship loading and unloading. The ship unloading control system includes: a scheduling center system configured to generate a ship unloading plan based on ship information and container information of a target ship and shore crane apparatus information, generate a ship berthing task and a ship unloading task based on the ship unloading plan, and transmit the ship berthing task and the ship unloading task to a ship control system of the target ship and a shore crane control system of a target shore crane apparatus, respectively; the ship control system configured to transmit the ship information and the container information to the scheduling center system, control the target ship to move to an operation area corresponding to the target shore crane apparatus in accordance with the received ship berthing task, and transmit a ship in-position notification message to the shore crane control system of the target shore crane apparatus; and the shore crane control system configured to control, upon receiving the ship in-position notification message from the ship control system, the target shore crane apparatus to load a container on the target ship onto a transportation vehicle in accordance with the ship unloading task.

A system for the transfer, storage and distribution of intermodal containers of a plurality of lengths. The system comprises a first storage area comprising a first plurality of shafts arranged in a grid pattern along a first and second axis, a plurality of gantry cranes slidably disposed along the first axis and extending beyond the storage area, a roof structure disposed at a distance above the plurality of shafts, and a plurality of overhead cranes slidably associated with the plurality of tracks. The shafts disposed in rows along the first axis are configured to store intermodal containers of a plurality of lengths. The shafts disposed in a given row along the second axis are configured to store intermodal containers of a corresponding length. The plurality of gantry cranes are each configured to attach to and transport an intermodal container from a first location to one of a plurality of platforms slidably disposed along the first axis. The platforms delivering the intermodal container to one of the rows of the shafts along the first axis are based on the length of the intermodal container. The roof structure comprises a plurality of tracks corresponding to the rows of the shafts along the second axis. The overhead cranes are each configured to attach to and transport the intermodal container from the platforms to either one of the shafts or to a second location.

A method of handling bulk cargo, including suspending, with a spreader of a container crane, a cargo handling system above a dock where a ship loaded with bulk cargo lands, the cargo handling system including a frame having an engaging portion engageable with the spreader of the container crane, a blower attached to the frame and configured to suck air, and a separator attached to the frame and configured to separate bulk cargo sucked along with the air from the air sucked by the blower. While the cargo handling system is suspended above the dock, using the cargo handling system to suck up the bulk cargo from the ship with the blower of the cargo handling system together with the air; separate the bulk cargo from the air with the separator of the cargo handling system; and discharge the separated bulk cargo from the cargo handling system.

There is provided shipping container handling systems and methods that maximize the number of containers that can be stored on a predetermined property, as well as increasing the efficiency of the transfer of containers between transshipment vehicles, such as cargo ships/barges, trucks, airline, rail systems and the like.

The disclosed solution provides for an inland port that is configured to load and unload cargo using autonomous systems (including autonomous tractors). The inland port may be serviced by a hyperloop network (of hyperloop routes) between the seaport and the inland port. The disclosed solution may rely on autonomous hyperloop vehicles in the hyperloop network to transport the cargo containers between the seaport and the inland port. At both the seaport and the inland port, autonomous tractors may, in some implementations, be utilized to load and unload the cargo that will be carried by the hyperloop vehicle and/or the truck.

A cargo container loading and unloading system for a transportation system, the cargo container loading and unloading system including a loading zone; and at least one opening connecting the loading zone to a transportation tube of the transportation system.

A crane system includes an elevated track spanning a first location to a second location; at least one spreader assembly configured to move along the elevated track using a tram assembly unit, and to move a shipping container from a first storage area to a second storage area, wherein the first storage area and the second storage area are between the first location and the second location; and a controller configured to identify the shipping container and control a movement of the shipping container using the at least one spreader assembly.

Container terminal comprising at least one ship crane (9) for loading and unloading a container ship (21), at least one handling crane (11) for loading and unloading a land vehicle such as a truck or a railway wagon with a container loop (1) being a circuit for automated guided vehicles (13) arranged on at least two levels of different elevation, so that in the area of the ship crane (9) a roadway 15 can be arranged underneath and parallel to the container loop (1) and there are no crossings between the entrance and exit of the roadway (15) and the container loop (1).

A method includes: receiving space information regarding a target space of a cargo, the space information being divided into a plurality of sections and defining a route between the plurality of sections and a route from each of the plurality of sections to an entrance; generating, according to the space information, a first constraint condition indicating that there is no other cargo on a route from the cargo to be loaded or to be unloaded to the entrance during loading or unloading of the cargo, a second constraint condition indicating a number of cargos to be loaded and a number of cargos to be unloaded, and a third constraint condition indicating a maximum load capacity of each of the plurality of sections; and determining a cargo arrangement optimizing a degree of instability of the target space based on the first, second, and third constraint conditions.