A multi-agent system architecture for cooperative maritime networks

The maritime container shipping industry derives significant efficiency by utilizing standard sized containers to ship goods all over the world. The standard size facilitates the use of equipment and procedures optimized for the containers. Due to the importance of the cargo, the security of the containers is extremely important. In this paper, a system is described to enhance the monitoring of the containers at a port or on a ship. Each container is instrumented with an intrusion detection system and a wireless device. Utilizing an ad-hoc network topology, security data for each container is communicated to other containers, a ship-board computer and a port computer. The data can be used by security personnel to ascertain the status of the container and to plan the necessary action to re-secure the container or to minimize the damage cause by an unauthorized access to the container contents.