A patent application filed in the US by Yamaha describes an automated docking capability using drag-and-drop gestures to navigate the boat to the slip
Yamaha Marine has filed a US patent application around a concept automatic docking system.
Yamaha’s concept auto-docking capability is built around drag-and-drop user interface using smartphone-like gestures. The concept incorporates a user interface built around a touchscreen display, enabling navigation to the dock using familiar, smartphone-like fingertip gestures to rotate the boat and dictate a path to the dock.
According to the company’s patent application, an onboard controller would then “generate a docking path from a current location of the watercraft to a target location of the target dock” using an integrated autopilot capability.
Yamaha’s application notes potential system applications include both outboard and jet-drive boats, as well as personal watercraft.
Docking has been widely identified as a significant stress point for new boaters and a potential barrier to adoption among prospective boaters. Yamaha’s patent application notes that while assisted docking systems can help to allay concerns among inexperienced boaters, the fact they still rely upon navigational inputs from the operator allows a fully automated system to provide a less stressful experience on the water.
There has been no announcement as to if or when the product will be released.
