Turn your boat into an autonomous vessel via an app

MAP-Tech is a United Arab Emirates-based company with some futuristic marine navigation devices including a first-of-its-kind technology that can convert any boat to an autonomous vessel via an app on your handheld device.

Employing a team of naval and robotic engineers, MAP recently signed an exclusive territory agreement with AMI Marine in Australia to distribute the MAP Marine Autopilot and other associated products.

The way the MAP Marine Autopilot, or MAP for short, works is pretty simple. Notwithstanding obvious safety issues, check out how fast the demo boat is being 'driven' via the app on the tablet of this crew sitting on the bow.

The mobile app interfaces with a compact, marine-proofed unit, housing a GPS module, Wi-Fi, INS and solid-state compass. This unit connects via Wi-Fi to a handheld android or iOS app device that facilitates rudder control, battery monitoring and other steering commands.

The basic marine autopilot device can be installed on any vessel and controlled via a user-friendly app on any handheld device. It allows the boat captain to design the journey for the boat using a series of waypoints, as well as remote steering from the app itself. This would be great for fishing and cruising.

MAP Pro is a conversion kit that provides the ability to remotely upload and manage voyage plans, control throttle, steering and third party sensors and systems on board the vessel.

With a Ground Control Station operating station for the MAP Pro system, which sends routes and parameters for the vessel’s mission and receives feedback from its sensors, you can control the boat from a remote land-based station.

While this may seem far-fetched, the future may well lay in fleet management of recreational and charter boats where a computerised manager steers boats remotely from a base.

Big marine companies are working on this kind of thing as we speak. This may well open the door to autonomous Uber-type boat products, where the boat steers itself, and remote docking devices on boats that bring themselves back into the marina.

While the MAP device captures the imagination, AMI Group Managing Director Vince Tranchita says they are especially excited about the MAP Pro system that transforms regular boats to Unmanned Surface Vessels [USVs] operated from a remote ground control station.

"AMI, as a forward-looking organisation, is continually eyeing developments in the maritime industry. Moving into the USV sector is a natural progression and this project is something we are excited to pioneer," Tranchita said.

MAP-Tech’s Australia Director, Matt Howarth, says future customers will appreciate the simplicity of the UAV system and the convenience of using their own devices to plot waypoints and remote steer their boat.

MAP comes pre-loaded with navigational charts, and allows the user to manage unlimited waypoints and routes. The GPS horizontal accuracy of the system is said to be within 2.5m.

The brains of M.A.P are sealed inside a marine-proofed housing called the MAP control box equipped with an INS, a solid-state compass and a GPS module to estimate the boat’s heading and position.

The box is light and small at approximately 450- 500gms and 150mm x 106mm x 47mm. MAP is connected to the boat’s battery and steering pump.

More at AMI.