AI integrated System for Panama Canal

Since a significant portion of world trade relies on shipping, the Panama Canal plays a

vital role in facilitating global commerce. However, the canal often experiences

congestion, with ships of various types, including cargo vessels, military ships, cruises, and

oil tankers, waiting in long lines to pass through its locks. These locks are essential for

changing the elevation of ships from sea level to canal level and vice versa. This

congestion has led to significant inconveniences and delays.

To resolve this issue, an expansion of the Panama Canal was completed in 2016. However,

this expansion did not substantially improve processing speed, primarily due to the canal's

relatively dry water levels. Luckily, the new expansion includes a water reservoir designed

to aid in the elevation adjustment process and overall efficiency.

However, traffic congestion remains a persistent problem at the Panama Canal. Each ship

is required to wait an average of eight hours for a canal instructor to board, inspect the

ship, and provide instructions to the captain. Due to limited resources, this has created

crowded areas near the canal's entrances. Which are called anchorages.

In response to these challenges, a system has been developed to enhance the efficiency of

the ship inspection process, reducing the time it takes from the previous eight-hour

duration to a staggering 36 hours. When a ship approaches the canal, it passes through a

series of guiding buoys, one of which is equipped with our robotic system. This system

incorporates a camera, Arduino controller, ultrasonic sensor, and deep learning software.

It uses these components to classify each approaching ship's type and prioritize them in

the following sequence:

1. Military ship.

2. Cargo ship.

3. Cruise ship.

4. Oil tanker.

By automating this ship classification and prioritization process, the system reduces the

need for human intervention, making the overall operation faster and more efficient. If

such a system were implemented worldwide, it could lead to faster and more streamlined

processes, benefiting global cargo transportation and trade.