Securing United States Ports Using a Geographic Information System


Hans Kraenzle
James Madison University

Abstract:

The goal of the project is to develop a GIS to simulate a tracking
system for the worldwide movement of containers and their content with
destination to the United States of America. The Geographic Information
System for Simulating Container Movement (GISSCM) serves as a prototype
application for Homeland Security. The GISSCM will enable the monitoring
of the movement and the content of containers worldwide that have the
United States as their destination. After the port of entry in the US,
the GIS will continue to monitor the movement and content of the container
until it reaches its final destination or leaves the United States again.

The location, movement and the content of the containers are simulated
with a computer program. In addition the computer program will simulate
the changes in the GIS database (content of the containers, custom
clearance, origin of the container and content, destination of the
shipment, etc.).

The purpose of the Geographic Information System for Simulating Container
Movement is to demonstrate the concept that a GIS can monitor in real time
millions of containers entering the United States per year. If Homeland
Security decides to implement the system, the developed GIS databases
for the containers and the visualization tool with the digital maps can
be used to design the real system. The computer program, which simulates
the movement of the containers, will then be replaced with GPS units and
radio transmitters to send the location of the containers to satellites.

Bio:

Helmut Kraenzle is Professor of Geographic Science at James Madison
University. In addition, he serves as the Geographic Information Team
Leader at the Mine Action Information Center at JMU.  Most recently,
Dr. Kraenzle received funding for a creating a Geographic Information
System for Simulating Containers from the Institute of Infrastructure
and Information Assurance. In 2002, he was the recipient of the Madison
Scholar Award from the College of Integrated Science and Technology for
his excellence in research. Dr. Kraenzle received his Ph.D. degree in
natural science at the University of Munich. Before joining JMU in 1996,
he was supervisor of the "Geographical Services" Section at E-Plus Mobile
Communications in Dusseldorf, Germany. His research interests are in 
Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Databases.