Recapturing the Vision

The most advanced realization of the passive-tracking systems include color graphic CRTs [reference 3,4]. The containers are drawn on these CRTs for planning purposes [see Figure 4]. The planner uses an electronic pointer to indicate which containers are to be moved and where they are to go. The computer then creates the work list for the handling equipment to execute.

A passive-tracking system with computer graphics is the first computer system to recapture the convenience and presentation of the yard board. In the past, both the hardware and software required for these systems have been expensive. However, recent dramatic decreases in hardware costs promise to make computer graphics a feature of all passive-tracking systems. If the inventory presented is accurate, the use of color graphics can again allow planning to occur without a view of the container yard.