Digital Pulse: WFS testing automated guided vehicles in Barcelona

Worldwide Flight Services recently began a proof-of-concept trial using autonomous guided vehicles in its cargo terminal at Barcelona Airport. The trial, which began at the end of September, will last for seven months. [caption id="attachment_57138690" align="alignright" width="300"] Worldwide Flight Services is trialing automated guided vehicles at its cargo terminal at Barcelona Airport. (Photo/WFS)[/caption] The automated guided vehicle (AGV) forklifts, supplied by warehouse solutions company Linde Material Handling , will be used in Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) operational areas at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN). The two types of AGVs — one for high storage positions and the other for low — will move cargo from breakdown areas to racking storage locations in the warehouse, as well as to the cargo delivery area, according to a release from WFS. “We have allocated dedicated pickup areas for the trials, in addition to 156 pallet storage rack locations,” WFS Barcelona Station Manager Marc Grau said in the release. During the trial, WFS will monitor the expected reduction in tasks completed by people and increase in productivity. The trial integrated WFS’ warehouse management system, supplied by air cargo technology company CHAMP Cargosystems , with the AGV management system, according to the release. WFS also partnered with airport operator Aena in March to launch a trial at BCN testing the ability of AGVs to move cargo between a warehouse and the apron. Waco members gain visibility through BlueBox Bonn, Germany-based solutions provider BlueBox Systems is providing global freight management and logistics organization The Waco System members access to visibility solutions for air and ocean freight. With two freight visibility platforms, BlueBoxAir and BlueBoxOcean, the tech company is delivering collective analytics for Waco members and bringing real-time oversight of shipment status and flight-related data in a user-friendly interface, according to a release from BlueBox. BlueBoxAir accesses data from more than 130 airlines and enables users to track aircraft positions in real time. Its API integrates shipment data and insights to achieve end-to-end visibility, allowing users to take immediate corrective action as necessary, according to the release. Users in the air and ocean APIs can collaborate and share documents across the platforms. “The ability for our members to collaborate on shared shipments provides real added value to the Waco network and will strengthen partnerships among members,” Chief Executive Richard Charles said in the release. Wiremind expands AI uses Software-as-a-service provider Wiremind has been studying two AI use cases since this summer with the aim of incorporating AI large language models (LLMs) into its CargoStack warehouse management system in 2024, according to a company release. LLMs are generative AI systems that train on existing text to produce original text. AI has formed the basis of the Paris-based company’s products since 2018 and is used by its SkyPallet solution to offer demand forecasting, intelligent overbooking management, pricing recommendations and capacity optimization. Wiremind is looking to use AI in direct contact with users. The first use case will streamline the quotation management process for airline sales teams by directly populating key criteria from a forwarder’s written quotation request into CargoStack’s quotation module, according to the release. The second use case will enhance CargoStack’s recently released rules engine, which “allows cargo teams to define custom rules for managing flights at scale across a range of parameters and conditions,” the release said. This requires users to write a short script within the application to define their custom rule. Wiremind is looking to use generative AI to write those scripts based on descriptions from users. Both use cases are intended to reduce manual input by users and improve the accessibility of the product, such as for users who may not be able to write scripts, according to the release. “The hype around ChatGPT and the many other emerging language models this year has shown that, as a society, we are now ready to embrace the opportunities that AI offers,” Etienne Corbille , chief technology officer of Wiremind Cargo , said in the release. “Many of these possibilities have already been discussed with our customers, and their feedback is now being incorporated into our planned concepts and ongoing product enhancements.”

Digital Pulse: WFS testing automated guided vehicles in Barcelona

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