Avikus autonomous boats to tap into self-driving car technology
Self-driving car tech straps on the water wings to make the leap onto the waterAvikus, the company behind the NeuBoat autonomous boat technology, will tap into laser camera technology developed for self-driving cars to help its self-driving boats paint a virtual picture of the world around them.
Autonomous cars use laser-based high-performance LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems to quickly build a high-quality three-dimensional virtual map of the world around them.
This technology can identify moving or stationary objects and other physical features and safely steer the car around them.
However, Avakus will use Seyond’s ultra-long range LiDAR sensor, named Falcon, to detect objects up to 500 metres away.
According to the press release from Seyond announcing the deal, the first boats featuring Avikus’s self-driving capability will be introduced in the middle of this year, with even more autonomous boats joining the self-driving club late this year.
Avikus announced earlier this month that it would team up with US boat maker AquaSports Boats, with the first models using the technology slated to come from the TwinVee outboard engine-powered centre and dual console catamaran, Forza electric-powered centre and dual console and AquaSport outboard engine-powered centre console monohull lines.
Avikus’ NeuBoat is a system built on artificial intelligence that can help skippers with navigating the waterways, and entering or leaving the dock.
The Avikus system is being developed on top of off-the-shelf equipment from global marine electronics group Raymarine. It uses its cameras placed around the boat to visually monitor what is happening.
The system has already been tested on a fully electric boat.
An early version of Avikus's NeuBoat was revealed at CES2023 and presented with an innovation award for the technology the company had developed.
The group behind the technology recently told boatsales that it was in talks with manufacturers ahead of rolling out a commercial version of the Avikus system in 2024, including unnamed Australian boat-makers.
Volvo Penta is also working on autonomous boat technology that integrates with the engines it makes, as is Brunswick Corporation, the owner of global brands including Boston Whaler, Sea Ray and Mercury.
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