On exploiting wireless sensor networks for enhancing the logistics operation efficiency in the Physical Internet

Abstract

The Physical Internet (pi) concept was developed to address the current unsustainability problem of the current logistic systems. One of the key elements in the Physical Internet is pi-containers designed to be world-standardized, smart, green and modular boxes such that they can be handled and transported throughout an open global logistic infrastructure. Logistic processes such as partial loading/unloading or composing/decomposing of pi-containers play an important role for a successful Physical Internet. However, the large variety of these physical transformation processes can introduce desynchronisation between the physical and informational flows of the supply chain management system. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes to integrate wireless sensors into pi-containers and then develop an algorithm for this wireless sensor network to monitor the pi-containers as well as the logistics operation efficiently. The proposed methodology evaluated by simulation processes shows that our proposition can be realized practically in the era of Industrial Internet of Things.