By KYLE ARNOLD
Tulsa World
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TULSA, Okla. — Robots and sensors are "the future of shipping," says the university's engineering dean. Self-controlled helicopters and camera-mounted ATVs are the future of American port security, according to researchers at the University of Oklahoma.

A group from the school's College of Engineering unveiled a program Wednesday at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa that uses light, heat and chemical sensors, as well as robot vehicles and helicopters, to detect whether container cargo has been tampered with.

Creators say the technology could be used to make sure that illegal goods, weapons, drugs or bombs are not shipped into American ports. "The people shipping the goods will know if anything has happened to their shipment," said Tom Landers, OU's engineering dean.

The school has been working on the program for more than two years. Funding comes from an $11 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to make sure cargo is secure. Students, faculty and private sector researchers like Lockheed Martin and software maker Viack aided in the project.

Creators of the program say it could have a host of uses, from port security to checking trucks at weigh stations. Some large ports in the United States have complicated, and expensive, gamma ray scanning systems to check cargo randomly. But smaller ports like the Tulsa Port of Catoosa have to inspect cargo manually. Researchers hope to change that, to save on money and make ports safer.

The first part of the program uses electronic monitoring systems inside cargo containers. Those monitors check for chemical changes, as well as changes in light, pressure and heat. The monitors also have GPS tracking technology and are connected to satellites, so users can track a container that goes off course.

In addition, cargo inside the container can be equipped with RFID, or radio frequency identification, chips that track individual units at short range. If any of the cargo or the container is disturbed, that data is relayed to computers aboard a ship or at a port. That could help detour smugglers or pirates. "This is really the future of shipping," Landers said. "It just isn't weigh stations anymore."

The second part of the program uses computer-controlled robots mounted on small helicopters and ATVs. The robots move independently to the destination, using the kind of technology that scientists and universities across the country are already using.

When operators receive information that something is wrong, they can dispatch the robots to the scene with the click of a mouse. High-definition video cameras let operators view the scene from the ground and overhead, while cutting down on manpower and keeping workers out of harm's way, said Monte Tull, an associate professor of engineering at OU. The school will continue refining the program and testing it in the field.

The software program is rough for average users, and the school is looking for more input on applications for the project, but faculty are confident it should be ready in the next two years, Landers said.

OU's container security program

What it includes:

Scanners that can detect changes in chemicals, light, air pressure and heat.

Radio frequency identification chips on individual cargo

GPS tracking on cargo containers

Robot helicopters and ATVs with video cameras to investigate disturbances.

State-of-the-art software to link all the pieces together

Copyright 2008 The Tulsa World