A morning haze lingered over the Bohai Bay, yet the ore terminal at the Jingtang Port area of Tangshan Port Group Co.,Ltd. was already a hive of activity. Unloaders extended their massive arms, and heavy-duty trucks shuttled back and forth.
Amidst the bustling port operations, a specialized "robotics team" stood out, performing tasks that were once labor-intensive and time-consuming. These units are capable of aerial inspections and intelligent spraying, significantly boosting efficiency.
Wang Jingyu, deputy director of the storage yard department at the port's ore terminal company, arrived early at the production dispatch building, his focus on the numerous cargo stockpiles.
After opening an intelligent control platform and confirming a flight route, an operator initiated the launch sequence. A drone slowly emerged from its hangar and autonomously headed to survey the terminal's storage yard from above.
"Continuous unloading operations mean we must have a clear and current understanding of stockpile distribution, boundaries, and safety conditions," Wang Jingyu stated. Utilizing drones for these inspections saves considerable time, effort, and worry.
In approximately 30 minutes, the drone returned, bringing back high-definition 3D modeling data of the yard. The computer screen displayed not only the precise shape of each stockpile but also detailed metrics like spacing between piles and shadow projection areas.
Manually inspecting the vast 1.1-million-square-meter yard was arduous, requiring over two hours. "We now operate a fleet of three drones," Wang explained. "Their aerial perspective allows for rapid, comprehensive coverage, creating integrated mapping and photographic data. Leveraging advanced AI algorithms, they generate detailed lists of potential safety hazards, enabling much more precise risk management for the stockpiles."
While the "aerial sentinels" safeguard operations, a "ground giant" protects the environment. At midday in the storage yard, a large unit slowly extended a folding arm over 30 meters long, emitting a fine, uniform mist to spray the cargo piles.
"This is an intelligent ecological robot," said Li Shuo, deputy director of the technical equipment department. "It can flexibly adjust the spray arm's angle based on pile height, achieving complete, gap-free coverage."
Maintaining proper moisture levels in iron ore stockpiles is crucial for port environmental control, as overly dry material can generate dust pollution.
This robot incorporates a miniature weather station that monitors real-time conditions like temperature, sunlight, and wind speed. "It also possesses an intelligent 'brain'," Li Shuo added. "Using a large AI model, it scientifically calculates the surface moisture content of the stockpiles and autonomously schedules spraying operations without any manual intervention."
Connecting the storage yard to the rail loading building are two elevated pipe corridors, each 1.6 kilometers long, which form a critical part of the rail-based port logistics system. "These corridors stand over 30 meters high, making manual inspections both hazardous and inefficient," noted Shi Yue, deputy director of the loading department. That task has now been handed over to an intelligent inspection robot designed for the conveyor system.
A monitoring screen clearly displays real-time footage transmitted by the robot. "Equipped with infrared thermal imaging displays and acoustic detection modules, the robot can promptly issue alerts if it detects abnormal equipment temperature rises or unusual noises," Shi Yue explained.
It was reported that the port company is actively developing additional intelligent equipment, including quadrupedal biomimetic inspection robots, material-clearing robots, and underwater detection robots, aiming to further leverage automation in building a smarter, more advanced port.
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