Real-time extraction method for ship berthing information based on 3D LiDAR

In smart ports, real-time acquisition of ship berthing information is essential for maintaining the safety and operational efficiency of both vessels and ports. Here, we present a novel method for real-time extraction of berthing parameters using 3D LiDAR. This approach begins by extracting the ship’s contour through a convex hull algorithm, minimizing dependency on mid-hull data. An oriented bounding box (OBB) is subsequently constructed via principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the bow and stern positions, enabling dynamic calculation of key berthing parameters such as speed, angle, and distance. Unlike traditional OBB methods based solely on PCA, our technique maintains high accuracy and robustness even with incomplete data. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves exceptional real-time performance and resilience to partial data loss, thereby providing a reliable and innovative solution for high-precision berthing monitoring in smart ports.