BUSAN — Busan Port Authority has developed a safety technology that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose internal defects in port crane wire ropes in real time, raising the level of safety management for cargo-handling equipment.
BPA said on the 3rd that it showcased a real-time port crane wire rope defect diagnosis system, jointly developed with Nkia, at the 2026 Korea Safety Industry Expo running from the 2nd through the 4th.
Wire ropes are a core component of the cranes that lift and lower containers. Damage to them can halt equipment operations and lead to serious safety accidents. Until now, inspections have relied on visual checks, limiting the ability to detect internal defects or gauge how far damage has progressed at an early stage.
The system detects changes in the magnetic field around wire ropes in real time and analyzes the data with artificial intelligence to identify signs of abnormality. That allows internal defects invisible to the naked eye to be identified in advance and can be used to determine when preventive maintenance should be carried out. It is also expected to reduce sudden operational shutdowns caused by equipment failure.
BPA and Nkia developed the technology to reflect actual working conditions at Busan Port and have carried out on-site verification. At the expo, they plan to present safety technology developed and validated in the field to the industry, highlighting the potential for wider adoption of AI-based safety management in the shipping and port sector.
"Safety management of port cargo-handling equipment is very important for worker safety and for the continuity of Busan Port operations," BPA President Song Sang-keun said. "We will continue to identify field-oriented AI safety technologies in collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises and technology firms, and raise the level of safety management at Busan Port."
