Development and Evaluation of a Collaborative Touch Table Port Planning Support System

This work presents the development and evaluation of a touch table tool as a port planning system. Port planning is a complex, interdisciplinary process carried out to design and agree on the use and structure of port areas. Since people from different fields are involved, successful collaboration is crucial. Previous research has shown that touch tables can improve collaboration between co-located users. In a focus group evaluation with potential end users, we explored the potential and challenges of using a touch table for port planning. The results show that such a system should be carefully designed and must cover complex planning processes. Overall, however, the participants see potential in using a touch table as a planning hub to facilitate discussion and collaboration.