This New AI-Powered Simulator Shows What It’s Like to Pilot a Boat on a Mountain Lake
Artificial intelligence promises to be a hot topic at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Brunswick Corp., parent of the Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Mercury Marine, and a dozen other marine brands, is bringing a new AI twist to boating in the landlocked Las Vegas Convention Center.
“We have a simulator that replicates the experience of driving a 370 Sea Ray Sundancer,” Brunswick CEO David Foulkes told Robb Report. “We had something similar last year, but this has a much more immersive display, with a 200-degree view of the surroundings, and voice feedback. It’s a very realistic scenario on how the new technology operates.”
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Even more impressive is the AI-powered “co-captain technology” embedded into the helm console’s electronics. It offers an interactive experience for showgoers wanting to experience assisted navigation, safety monitoring and autonomous maneuvers.
“You’ll see how it tracks in the water on autopilot, warns about objects, and even automatically rafts up to the side of another boat,” says Foulkes. “It’s like a concierge or, perhaps more accurately, a customized assistant. It can provide information, guide you or even take over in certain situations.”
This year’s display has increased its technology offerings compared to its other years at CES. It is also one of the few boating companies at Las Vegas.
Foulkes, named CEO in 2019, has been pushing hard to have Brunswick seen by the public and Wall Street as a tech company, rather than the world’s largest boat-and-engine maker. Five years ago, the company announced an initiative called ACES—Autonomy/Assistance, Connectivity, Electrification and Shared Access—that it has been developing to make boating easier, smarter, and more sustainable. Its three-year strategy to date has included new products such as electric outboards, gas generator replacements, and perhaps, most importantly, the AI-powered helm.
The Brunswick display also has another simulator designed that promises to be more appealing than the mobile phones or other electronics in the convention center. The Fliteboard eFoil simulator replicates the experience of riding an electric foiling board. It reacts to wave conditions and, with the handheld controller, turns like a real-life foiling board would.
The company also has on display displayed a large electric marine engine it is developing on a virtual pontoon boat, while the booth’s centerpiece is a real Boston Whaler 405 Conquest.
Next year’s display will include Brunswick’s auto-docking technology, a step up from this year’s assisted docking. The system includes binocular cameras on the hull for a 360-degree view that are connected to onboard processors that can recognize objects in and out of the water, and be able to react to current, wind, and other factors that impact boat handling.
“Making the system predictable in a highly unstructured environment like a lake or ocean was the biggest challenge,” says Foulkes. “We have military and drone partners who face similar challenges with wind, and have adopted some of those technologies. We’re pleased so far with the results.”
The helm of the future will be available on a Boston Whaler 405 Conquest at the end of 2026.
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