[LUM#9] Mommy, the Little Boats
What if the boat of the future were actually an airplane? After three years of collaborative work, Vincent Dufour, a researcher atthe Institute of Evolutionary Sciences in Montpellier (ISEM), presents the Overboat. A technological and ecological marvel capable of gliding through the air above the water.
“What sets our boat apart from others is that it has legs. Kind of like in the song, except it’s not for walking but for flying. ” And that was something Vincent Dufour had dreamed of his whole life. An oceanographer specializing in reef fish, a water sports enthusiast, and a sailor since childhood, this researcher has always loved“going to the bow of boats and dipping his feet in the water. It feels like flying!”
His dream project, dubbed Overboat, was unveiled last December at the Paris Boat Show as a single-seater boat measuring 1.5 meters by 3 meters. Under its hull: four struts just over a meter long—the famous “legs”—ending in a hydrofoil. A foil is an underwater wing that, like on a kitesurf, lifts the hull out of the water using hydrodynamic lift.
Except that Overboat isn’t just at the mercy of the waves and winds. Equipped with an electric propulsion system, numerous altitude and position sensors, and a fully automated system connected to articulated foils, the boat steers itself almost entirely on its own. “Not only is this a new way to get around on the water, but most importantly, you don’t need to be an expert since the boat’s smart system handles everything for you. All you have to do is press a trigger to control the acceleration.”
A new way to get around
To bring this project to fruition, Vincent Dufour had to take the lead and assemble a strong team around him. Lionel Lapierre (Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics), Laurent Latorre (Polytech), Loïc Daridon (Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering), Daniel Matt, and Philippe Combette (Institute of Electronics and Systems) thus form “the dream team,” jokes Vincent Dufour. “Thanks to this collective brainpower, we’ve already filed three patents,” and one or two more should follow.
Another advantage of this fully electric flying boat is its eco-friendliness. “When the boat is lifted out of the water, the hull generates no drag, and we save 60% of the energy consumed.” Designed for both private individuals and scientists, its single-seat version will be available starting in 2019, but Vincent Dufour “sees no real limits to this technology” and plans to develop an XXL version of the Overboat.
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