Hi Tech Safety: Award-Winning Products from IBEX 2021
Published: Thursday, November 4, 2021
By: Zuzana Prochazka
The International Boatbuilding Expo (IBEX) is a marine trade show that is held each year at the end of September in Tampa, Florida. It’s not a boat show but, as their tagline reads: “It’s where better boats begin.” This is a gathering of industry trade experts, engineers, boatbuilders, system designers and more, who come together to launch new technology that will be added to boats in coming months and years to make them better, stronger, more efficient, more comfortable, and most importantly, safer.
I serve as the chair of a program called the Innovation Awards that’s held at IBEX each year. I have a panel of experts who evaluate the products that are submitted for innovation and practicality. For 2021, we had 98 products submitted and we awarded 11. Here are three that will enhance safety and are expected to appear on boats built in the near future.
Assisted Docking by Volvo Penta
Docking is probably the most stressful aspect of boating. It’s all fun and games until you come close to the hard stuff and have to dial in precise maneuvering. The worst examples always seem to happen when the conditions are rough and someone else is watching. Now, engine manufacturer Volvo Penta is about to take some of the angst out of this process.
Cruisers with twin IPS pod drives will soon be able to add Volvo’s new Assisted Docking capability that simplifies docking and adds time to the decision-making process. This time will allow you to evaluate the situation and calmly take the next step even if a current is running and the wind is blowing.
The system is fully integrated from helm to prop and works with high precision GPS data and DPS (Dynamic Positioning System). Using driver input via a joystick, the system will move the boat forward or aft in straight lines. If you’re unsure of where to go, simply let go of the joystick and the boat will sit right in place regardless of wind or current. I took their very expensive test boat and tried to crash it into the dock and it wouldn’t let me. It just allowed me to bring it in easy peesy.
The system slows down time and lets the driver calm down and make the next move when ready. The package includes HMI (human-machine interface) at the helm, electronics via the engine, propulsion systems and sensors, and advanced navigation processing power. It eliminates the freak-out factor and lets you dock like a pro, in full view of all the judgment happening at the yacht club bar.
Sentry by OSCAR
Radar is essential in certain boating applications and it just got better with the OSCAR Sentry. Sentry is an Austrian AI-based device that sort of marries radar and AIS and then fills in the gaps in between with cameras. The device scans the horizon checking for boats, buoys, and floating objects including crew-overboard if necessary. It’s a collision avoidance device that maps obstacles using an augmented reality view, but it can also track and warn of an object such as a dinghy approaching at a high rate of speed in the middle of the night.
The system is a combination of GPS, AIS, and thermal and RGB cameras with software that drives artificial intelligence, so it learns from millions of on-water events and makes boating safer underway and at rest. It’s an excellent tool for offshore passage making and coastal cruising as well.
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icro Plastic Filter by Suzuki Marine
Safety isn’t all about us, the boaters. It’s about protecting what lives in the waters we love. That’s why it’s nice to highlight Suzuki’s effort at cleaning up the environment with their new Micro Plastic Filter. This filter lives inside the outboard engine and is easy to install, clean, and maintain. It incorporates the use of the engine cooling system and filters out micro plastic pollution as you motor along without impacting overall performance. It has been in use on a water taxi in Tampa Bay on a 149-hp Suzuki engine and is performing well. The filter is a no-brainer if you’re buying a Suzuki because why not do something good while you’re out there anyway?
IBEX is a bellwether of what’s to come in the boating industry. It’s nice to see a focus on boater (as well as environmental) safety and our judging process strives to highlight the best products that move the industry forward. Look for these products and more soon on a boat near you.
About the Author
Zuzana is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to over 18 sailing and power boating publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana is the founder of a flotilla charter company called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations around the world.
Zuzana serves as an international presenter on charter destinations, safety issues, and technical topics, and she's the Chair of the New Product Awards committee for innovative boats and new gear. She is a member of the American Society of Authors and Journalists and a board member of Boating Writers International.
A version of this article appeared in the Buyer's Guide (November/December) 2022 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Awards, Environmental Impact, Navigation, safety, Software & Apps
