Cathay Cargo ULD Optimizer
A 2D drag-and-drop ULD load planning platform for air cargo. Built in 24 hours during the Cathay Cargo Hackathon final at Cathay City.
The Challenge
Cathay Cargo Terminal aspires to set the global benchmark for air cargo excellence through cutting-edge technology. The challenge: how might we harness AI, computer vision, and emerging technologies to enhance cargo handling with efficiency and sustainability?
Our team of HKU Industrial Engineering students pitched an idea we knew well from the IGC internship: the predictive maintenance model applied to cargo logistics. We extended this with IoT sensors on high-value cargo (pharmaceuticals, special declarations) to detect anomalies in real-time and trigger early warnings.
The Product
A 2D ULD (Unit Load Device) intelligent load planning platform. The UI mimics a Tetris-like packing game: the left panel shows a top-down view of an empty cargo plane with ULD positions marked; the right panel shows weighed and packed cargo. Users drag items from right to left, and a data bar at the top displays the real-time Center of Gravity (CG) position.
The backend runs a MILP (Mixed Integer Linear Programming) algorithm based on academic research — the system calculates the optimal arrangement that keeps the aircraft's CG in the ideal range. CG has a massive impact on fuel consumption, and Cathay's current load planning is surprisingly informal — a genuine pain point with real business value.
The platform is human-in-the-loop: unexpected events and multi-leg journeys require human judgment. This is the key area for future optimization.
What We Learned
Going off-prompt on the final day was a risky decision driven by our confidence in our preliminary round work. It consumed hours of discussion time and left us without a dedicated cargo judge for feedback. Next time: time-box decisions and prepare parallel pitch decks.
In a 24-hour hackathon, presentation prep should happen during the build phase — not after. We ran vibe coding right up to the wire, leaving too little time to polish our pitch. Even great work needs a great story.