Future of Marine Electronics

[rpwillia]

First off I love my Standard Horizon radio and my Humminbird Chartplotter. That being said in the most recent BoatUS magazine they are talking about how pre-2012 electronics are quickly becoming obsolete based on the increased integration due to Bluetooth and WiFi. I tend to agree as the functionality and ease with which we can get new things integrated is so much easier.

That being said I look at my Android phone and I have Wind Speed, EarthNC Lite, Marine Weather, Tide Predictor, Sailing Compass, GPS Essentials, and My Anchor Watch (free) on my phone and they are as capable as my chartplotter and a few others. Can we expect within a very short time that all we would need is an android (or iPad if you prefer) based device to integrate everything together at 1/2 the cost we used to pay?

 

[Joe Diver]

The downside is if you lose the device, you lose everything.

 

[Kettlewell]

Can we expect within a very short time that all we would need is an android (or iPad if you prefer) based device to integrate everything together at 1/2 the cost we used to pay?

You can already have that if you want it. I really don't see how the marine electronics companies can compete, other than on waterproofness and maybe providing the sensors for windspeed, depth, radar, etc. that talk to the computers.

 

[alexco38]

"The downside is if you lose the device, you lose everything."


The upside is for the price you can buy 2 or 3.


I bought one for this on sale last Xmas for $167 (free shipping).

http://www.amazon.ca/Pan-TC-970-9-7...MFG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329758804&sr=8-1

I use one in the cockpit with "remote desktop" to a laptop inside the cabin for Seaclear and AIS. I am sure Android base app will be available soon.

There is a NEMA to WiFi converter (by Digital Yacht). When the app is available on Android, I won't even need the laptop.

Because of WiFi, I can use Smartphone or Tablet for each crew. No need for any display. Coming soon.

 

[alexco38]

BTW Waterproof tablet is available

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/08/fujitsus-waterproof-arrows-tab-lte-f-01d-to-launch-on-docomo-ne/

 

[alexco38]

Most sensors are made by Airmar

That's why I postpone upgrading the displays on the pedestal.

Within a year or two, the only display would be a nice waterproof tablet with touch screen. Everything; wind, depth, AIS, radar, chartplotter etc. The tablet would be on a quick mount so I can remove it when leaving the boat. Also able to swap to a spare if it quit. The crew can use their smartphone to display speed to trim the sail etc.

This is not dreaming. It's reality, just waiting for the price to drop.

 

[joker460]

The big problem with the handheld units is the visibility in direct sunlight.

I find that the tablets and phones wash out in direct sunlight.

I doubt that will change that much in the near future due to the power requirements of the screen.

 

[alexco38]

I have hope for these devices will get brighter. Because the old experience were using compact florescent technology. Now pretty much all devices are using LED which can drive the screen much brighter. I can view my newer iPhone in direct sunlight.

I have a Nikon coolpix waterproof camera. You can view the screen even with the sun behind your back. That's amazingly bright.

 

[rpwillia]

Alexco - Great Idea

BTW Waterproof tablet is available
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/08/fujitsus-waterproof-arrows-tab-lte-f-01d-to-launch-on-docomo-ne/

Will be interesting to see it work with one of the following married up to it.
1. Raymarine PC-SeaTalk-NMEA Interface Box
http://www.raymarine.com/ProductDetail.aspx?SITE=1&SECTION=2&PAGE=714&PRODUCT=2976

2. Brookhouse NMEA Combiner / Multiplexers http://brookhouseonline.com/nmea_multiplexer.htm

3. There was a 3rd one I can't find now.

 

[woodster]

Most sensors are made by Airmar

That's why I postpone upgrading the displays on the pedestal.

Within a year or two, the only display would be a nice waterproof tablet with touch screen. Everything; wind, depth, AIS, radar, chartplotter etc. The tablet would be on a quick mount so I can remove it when leaving the boat. Also able to swap to a spare if it quit. The crew can use their smartphone to display speed to trim the sail etc.

This is not dreaming. It's reality, just waiting for the price to drop.

the Garmin 720s chart ploters have this now ...but yes pricey $1,250.00 and up ...

regards

woody

 

[rpwillia]

Guess I forgot to mention

the Garmin 720s chart ploters have this now ...but yes pricey $1,250.00 and up ... regards woody

Wanting to do this on the cheap!

 

[kenn]

It's not hard to imagine the marine instrument of the future. It would consist of a small central controller, getting input from wired and wireless sensors for depth, boat speed, gps, fluxgate compass and wind instruments, and communicating via cable or wifi to any number of display devices, the most important being a cockpit display controller.

Yes 'water-resistant' tablets are coming, but the main display needs to be more than that; it has to be just about immersion-proof and it has to be physically robust enough to handle jostling and screen impacts without sustaining physical damage, cracking or failing.

The problem with going with one controller and one display/interface for all instrumentation is that you've now created at least 3 'single points of failure' where a failure in the controller, the interconnect or the display kills the whole system. Contrast this with having separate instruments for speed, gps, depth, wind, etc, where a single failure only cripples one device.

Another point to consider is that the better marine instruments are built to a higher level of reliability and robustness, whereas consumer electronics like low-end tablets are often fragile and essentially disposable when they fail. If I had to equip a boat tomorrow, I would probably still go with the better dedicated marine instruments, networked together, with a laptop or tablet computer for the nav station and instrument backup.