Will new auto-park feature on cars be adaptable to boats?
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.
|