Le Havre, First European Port in 3D & in Real Time

Since 16 June 2016, HAROPA - Port of Le Havre, # 1 French port complex, displays itself in three dimensions through the development of its software package S-WiNG©. The occasion for the professionals and the general public to virtually plunge into the environment of the Normandy port, to go into the heart of its daily activities and draw a wealth of information from them.

On the port of Le Havre, vessel movements are now freely accessible and can be visualized by everyone, in 3D and in real
time from a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. Every vessel present in the harbour waters is represented according to its category (container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers, roll-on/roll-of ships, dredgers, tugs, barges, liners, ferries, etc.) with its draught, according to the real water level, the swell and the weather. Ergonomic, user-friendly and interactive, the S-WiNG - 3D application allows the user to look by a single click at the information linked to each vessel present in the tidal basins of the port zone, notably in the outer port, and at Port 2000, sailing in the basins or at berth (vessel length, width, capacity, origin, destination, etc.).

Some functions such as position of the cranes that operate the vessels are also searchable but reserved for the relevant professionals. All the information is available in real time but also in replay, thus allowing to go back in time and to view past calls a posteriori (back to two weeks).

For the 1st time in a European port

“This e-navigation constitutes a first in a European port, states Jérôme Besancenot, head of the Information System Development department at HAROPA - Port of Le Havre; we intend to continue and further expand such an innovative approach as part of the Smart Port.” This system is indeed only a starting point: “the tool is intended to include more and more realism, to change and to be continuously developed; it will quickly provide more extensive information both about the selected port zones and the targeted activities”.

Jean-Marc Leroux, managing director of the Aerys start-up which made the developments, explains that “this was made possible through an innovative 3D technology based on our MinkoTM engine,
and using real time data provided by the S-WiNG© port single window developed by HAROPA - Port of Le Havre.”

The tool enables all professionals of the port community to follow the activity in real time, and teachers and school children to understand the port life in a recreational way. It also offers tourists and other « ship lovers » the possibility to discover the port from a new perspective.