Will new auto-park feature on cars be adaptable to boats?
Took one of the vehicles in for service this morning, and our
salesperson (clever enough to check the service department appointment
sheet each day and "happen to be" in the shop to greet his sales
customers as they arrive) collared me to show me a new 2007 model.I was impressed by the stylish lines, the comfortable seats, and even
the leaded crystal glass headlight bezels- but what got my attention
was the salesman's description of the new "automatic parallel parking"
feature on the long wheel base version of the same car. His description: "You pull up alongside an empty parking space, and a system of sensors
will measure the spot to be sure that it is long enough to accommoate
your car. The factory wants you to have no less than 3-feet of
clearance between the cars in front and in back, so that's how the
measurement is set." "Once it has been determined that the car will fit into the space, you
pull ahead until you are alongside of the car in front of the available
spot. The system then determines the distance between the side of your
car and the car parked at the curb, notes where the left rear corner of
the parked car car is at, and then automatically steers and shifts the
car to fit into the space the sensors defined. All you do is sort of
ride the brake until your car is sitting perfectly centered and against
the curb." I had to wonder: Will something of this nature be helping us dock out
boats in a generation or so?
There are obviously a lot more variables when docking a boat than when
parking a car; but even so
I wouldn't be surprised to see some enterprising young engineer figure
out how to automate at least some docking functions with a similar
system. |
Chuck
Oct 25
2006
|
| Why milliseconds? A human can't do that. |
basskisser
Oct 27
|
| I guess it is all a matter of timecan your fantasy system update
position of the pilot boat and surrounding obstructions in a millisecond
time frame and have propulsion systems react within the same milliseconds? If it were possible the entire package (propulsion systems, other hardware,
software, tracking system) would be cost prohibitive. Bottom line.Star Trek 2025. |
Oct 25
|
| especially if the boat operator is DRUNK, which more are these days.! BTW-no me "Chuck Gould" <chuckgould.chuck@gmail.com> wrote in message |
Lost
Oct 25
|
| Actually would be fairly simple with a bow thruster. The parameters would
be for larger than 3' clearance length wise, but milliseconds for decisions
is a long time for modern control system. |
Calif
Oct 26
|
| "never"?? |
DSK
Oct 26
|
| Yep. My wife's nephew is a tug captain and have one of the new Cort
nozzle deals - it's amazing what he can do with that boat -
incredible. Stops on a dime, spins in it's own length and the pilot
house looks like something out of Star Trek. Pretty cool. |
Short
Oct 26
|
| I agree with you, that it is something that is do able. Computers
handle much more complicated situations all the time. |
Reginald
Oct 26
|
| The computer can handle the variables much faster than a human. I would
not buy the option, because being able to handle the boat is part of the
fun. |
Reginald
Oct 26
|
| Parking a car is a considerable simpler than docking a boat. With a car
you've got nearby items that offer good reflections for sensors. Pilings on
piers don't offer anywhere near the same signal qualities. That and the
environment for the sensors on the car is considerable milder than what
you'd find on a boat. Then there's the stability factor, a car doesn't have
to deal with constantly changing pitch, roll, and yaw. Another passing car
won't suddenly make the situation change, quite unlike how passing boat's
wake would affect things. Add all that up and the complexity of sensors and
the math involved is CONSIDERABLY more involved than anything you'd even
need on an auto. So no, I don't see 'automagic' docking coming to boating anytime soon.
Better docking manueverability, sure, that's here today with things like IPS
and various other dock-on-command systems. They aid the process more than
anything ever seen on an auto but they still require human judgement. |
Bill
Oct 26
|
| >salesperson (clever enough to check the service department appointment |
Gene
Oct 26
|
| Wind, current, waves, prop efficiency, slack in the lines of the boats
docked in front/behind or along side of...yaddayaddayadda Interesting thought Chuck but as you know it will never happen. |
Oct 25
|
| >out how to automate at least some docking functions with a similar
>system. It would be nice to have a computer to blame when things go awry... :-) |
Wayne.B
Oct 25
|
| If the sensors could keep track of the docking vessel's exact position
relative to other boats and the open space at the dock, and if there is
effectively 360 degree variable propulsion available (coming close with
the Volvo IPS system, for example) moderate wind or current
wouldn't be insurmountable in the equation. The system would need to
compensate, instantly, as variables changed. I don't think it's
something we will see soon- but something we could easily see
eventually. |
Chuck
Oct 25
|
