Generic data types for planning and control in intermodal freight transshipment applications

Planning and control environments for automated guided vehicles are predominantly dedicated to specialized vehicles, e.g. special carriers used in harbor areas for the transport of containers between quays and stackyards. The environment is completely different for commercial standard vehicles when operated under automated guidance. Typically, these are articulated vehicles with a high degree of variability, particularly with respect to their geometric and kinematic properties. Adaptivity requirements have to be taken into account and lead to the design and development of data types with a high degree of genericity. How planning and control depend upon those data types is explained in the broader scope of a new intermodal role-on, roll-off traffic concept which is currently under research. Furthermore, the data types play a central role in the validation process to achieve the legal approval for the automated guided traffic of standard commercial vehicles.