Integration of Automated and Manned Freight Transport

Part I of this book discusses a number of intriguing new perspectives and concepts on automated freight transport. All envisaged concepts have in common that they make up part of and should be embedded within the whole of a transport system that will largely consist of manned systems. In particular the integration of manned and automated systems – both physically and from the point of operations – is a crucial element in the implementation process of automated systems. This chapter discusses the various infrastructure/technological and logistical aspects in order to take into consideration when implementing automated (sub-)systems for freight transportation. Before discussing these aspects, the paper will categorize the various types of automated systems, because these various types of automation turn out to have quite different effects on the aspects described above. Then the paper discusses the infrastructural provisions needed to support transportation. The paper concluded that, given the current and envisioned developments, fully automated systems will probably make use of dedicated infrastructures, and will rarely be involved in mixed (manned/automated) traffic conditions. Therefore, specific transfer facilities are needed to integrate the manned and automated systems. From the logistics point of view, interesting parallels with combined or intermodal transport can be drawn. This enables the user to draw conclusions with respect to the usability of the various automation concepts for specific niche markets in freight transport.