We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. — Edward Burtynsky
The Box is an ambitious and unique year-long project for BBC News to tell the story of international trade and globalisation by tracking a standard shipping container around the world (video).
The Box will criss-cross the world
It is a project which plans to deliver content for television, radio and online audiences - telling the individual stories behind what makes the global economy tick.
We have painted and branded a BBC container and bolted on a GPS transmitter so you can follow its progress all year round as it criss-crosses the globe. The Box will hopefully reach the US, Asia, the Middle East , Europe and Africa and when it does BBC correspondents will be there to report on who’s producing goods and who’s consuming them.
The Container Shipping Information Service (CSIS) is an organisation, formed in 2007, comprising 23 of the largest container shipping companies across the world (see About Us for members list).
Two providers of RFID-based asset tracking have added GPS tracking. WhereNet has introduced GPS capabilities to version 4.0 of its Marine Terminal Solution, and Identec Solutions, based in Lustenau, Austria, has added GPS to its I-Q RFID tag.
Savi Networks operates a global wireless data-capture network and provides a real-time information service called SaviTrak that automatically tracks the location, security and condition of inventory as it’s transported throughout the global supply chain.
The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, uses SaviTrak to enhance efficiency and security for shippers and port terminal operators. Lani Fritts, chief operating officer of Savi Networks, says, “Europe, which also includes the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom, is a critical link in our growing network because so much world trade flows into and out of this region.”
Stratos says they’re the largest supplier of mobile satellite services to the maritime industry, with communications to more than 40,000 maritime terminals worldwide. Their AmosConnect integrates email, fax, telex, GSM text, interoffice communication, and access for mobile personnel into a single messaging system.
Enhanced Pre-Assigned Data Reporting (EPADR) sends position reports to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) regulations. The LRIT regulations, which affect approximately 45,000 seagoing vessels, take effect December 31. LRIT will be required to transmit the ship’s identity, location and date and time of the position. There will be no interface between LRIT and AIS.
Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) automatically provides information about a ship to other ships and to coastal authorities. It works by integrating a standardized VHF transceiver system with an electronic navigation system, such as a LORAN-C (LOng RAnge Navigation Version C) or GPS. AIS is used primarily for collision avoidance.
Above is my Gigapixel panorama of Port of Portland’s Terminal 6, Oregon’s only deep draft container terminal. Their CargoTracker is a free service. Portland Oregon’s marine operations at its four terminals generated 11,724 jobs, nearly $871 million in personal income and close to $89 million in state and local taxes.
Related Dailywireless articles include; Tracking Soldiers, Mapping Relief, Sensor Nets Launch, Automatic Vessel Identification Goes Wide, Underwater MIMO and Singapore & NYC Rollout Broadband Safety Nets.
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