The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is getting a taste of boating’s future, thanks to several exhibits showcasing the latest and future technology. Volvo Penta, Brunswick Corp., Navier and Candela are all displaying leading-edge designs in Las Vegas—with the closest boating destination, Lake Mead, hours away—to show the tech world that boating isn’t just a gas-guzzling hobby stuck in the past.

“A lot of people don’t consider the amount of technology in the marine industry,” says Dave Foulkes, CEO of Brunswick Corp., the world’s largest boat and engine builder. Brunswick’s Mercury Marine division displayed its new Avator 48V electric outboard, a new electric boat line called Veer, and its Fathom e-Power system. The coolest item is a fully interactive display that allows visitors to pilot a boat virtually through a boating twilight, with controls and a massive 140-degree-wide screen adding to the realism.

“This is actually more than an interactive entertainment platform,” says Foulkes. “We can introduce a combination of virtual challenges—docks and other boats in unusual lighting situations—that aren’t easy to replicate in the physical world. We’ll then use that data in the autonomous systems we’re developing.”

Click here

Private Internet Access gives you unparalleled access to thousands of next-gen servers in over 83 countries and each US state. Your VPN experience will always be fast, smooth, and reliable.