Closing event LogiVille's Theme Tour 'Smart Vehicles' zooms in on smart and ecological road freight transportation

In the spring of 2024, Log!Ville invited entrepreneurs and logistics professionals to the "Smart Vehicles" Theme Tour. During the tours, numerous innovations that will radically transform road transport were discussed. The closing event, 'The road towards freight with brains', took place on June 24, 2024, where industry experts provided a round-up of regulations and successful case studies.

Over eighty participants from various sectors descended on the logistics innovation center that day. In recent months, they had already become acquainted with some inspiring innovations in the field of smart transport during a Theme Tour, such as the Efficiency Champion XG from DAF Trucks, the very latest E-cargo Bike and electric delivery van from DHL, the automated tire monitoring and analysis from Goodyear and the driving behavior coach app from NEXTdriver.

The event offered several opinion leaders a platform to explain their vision on sustainable freight transport. After a welcome by Paul Van Nuffel, manager of Log!Ville, Grisja Lobbestael, CEO of Flanders Make, explained the operation and added value of this Flemish strategic research center for the manufacturing industry. His colleague Ellen van Nunen, Tech domain lead Autonomous & Senior project leader at Flanders Make, outlined the evolution in smart technologies in autonomous vehicles. During a panel debate, moderated by VIL project leader Gunther Storme, DHL Express, Pfizer, Zetes and FEBIAC came in for a discussion of hot topics in sustainable road transport.

Flanders Make: encouraging open innovation

With a team of over 900 researchers and an annual turnover of 100 million euros, Flanders Make has grown from three sites (Lommel, Leuven and Kortrijk) into a leading player in supporting product and process innovation within Flemish industry. "Based on three pillars - research, tailored innovation and test and validation infrastructure - we contribute to the technological development of vehicles, machines and factories of the future," confirms Grisja Lobbestael. "In our high-quality research, we are often five to 10 years ahead of what the industry is absorbing. Through tailored innovation, we work with manufacturing companies to see how we can shape innovative solutions. Thanks to our extensive testing and validation infrastructure - such as a climatization chamber for testing vehicles - we make the bridge to practical applications."

From SLAM to 'platooning'

During her talk, Ellen van Nunen started with a brief history of smart technologies in mobile vehicles. "As early as the 1950s, Inductive Track Guidance was used, guiding vehicles through inductive paths in a warehouse environment," said the researcher. "In the 1980s and 1990s we saw the use of laser navigation, among other things, which provided additional flexibility. Since 2010 there has been SLAM - Simultaneous Localization and Mapping - which allows vehicles to map their surroundings and determine their position at the same time, which is essential for autonomous navigation in dynamic environments."

Ellen van Nunen also talked about the advance of AI algorithms and the segmentation of sensor data into object classes, with image pixels matching people, racks or floors. "The use of prematrix information is also revolutionizing the logistics industry, as logistics processes are proactively optimized by analyzing large amounts of data and predicting patterns. Artificial intelligence also improves safety with pedestrian detection, which accurately identifies and tracks pedestrians in warehouses and distribution centers. This reduces accidents and increases efficiency. And in transportation, 'platooning' is another promising technology: trucks drive in convoy, guided by a precursor with minimal spacing."

Promising future

A concluding panel debate provided additional interaction with the participants. Ansfrid Vanlerberghe (Transport Manager at DHL Express), Sven De Bont (Manager Logistics & Customer Experience at Pfizer), Gilbert Wellemans (Country Manager at Zetes) and Kris Gysels (Director Public Affairs at FEBIAC), were presented with some challenging questions. How are their employers tackling electrification and the transition to sustainable fuels? What opportunities do they see in terms of sustainability through the application of smart freight and ditto packaging? What potential do self-driving or tele-operated trucks have in our country? And what is sure to become a gamechanger in the coming years? In a nutshell: the rapidly evolving battery technology - stronger performance, lower weight - can offer market players fantastic opportunities. Pilot projects in autonomous driving are also promising, including autonomous port areas where this technology can be put to excellent use. Smart GPS tracking and sorting machines determine which sustainable means of transportation - electric van or cargo bike - is used to deliver a shipment. And what about control towers for sea and air transport that (de)consolidate and assemble shipments tailored to transport routes?