French Robots-in-Ports Plan Receives Funding Boost

Driven by GAUSSIN SA and BA Systèmes, VASCO is a collaborative project of innovation in port robotics which aims at
developing the first 100% automated system with guidance without any infrastructure for the transfer of containers
in port terminals. The solution offered by VASCO is aimed to radically improve the productivity of container terminals and reduce the operating
costs.

The project leader is GAUSSIN SA company along with BA Systèmes. Their objective will be the design and
implementation of a demonstrator made of a fleet of 3 automated vehicles, a supervision system and an automated
powerpacks exchange system. This demonstrator will function in real conditions as of 2017, first on the Héricourt test
site and then at the port of Dunkerque (Terminal des Flandres).

CRYSTAL laboratory of Lille 1 University and IRCCyn laboratory of the École Centrale de Nantes will work on both the
automation and guidance of the mobile robots (3 automated vehicles) and the system’s supervision.

VASCO, or “Véhicule Automatisé Supervisé pour Conteneurs” (i.e. Automatic & Supervised Vehicle for Containers) is “a project of research and development structuring for competitiveness” (French PSPC) which benefits from a €8.8 million in help and is funded up to €5.5 million (subsidies and repayable advances) within the French program “Investissements d’Avenir” (PIA i.e. Investments for the Future), established by Bpifrance.