[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 Montpellier Institute of Evolutionary Sciences (ISEM), presents the Overboat—a technological and ecological marvel capable of hovering 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 into 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 1.50 meters by 3 meters. Under its hull are four struts just over one meter long—the famous “legs”—each ending in a foil. A foil is an underwater wing that, much like in kitesurfing, uses hydrodynamic lift to raise the hull out of the water.
Except that Overboat doesn’t just drift with the currents 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 more importantly, you don’t need to be an expert because the boat’s onboard 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 carry out this project, 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) make up “the dream team,” jokes Vincent Dufour. “Thanks to this collective brainpower, we’ve already filed three patents,” and one or two more are expected to follow.
This fully electric flying boat offers another advantage: its eco-friendliness. “When the boat is lifted out of the water, the hull generates no drag, and we recover 60% of the energy consumed.” Designed for both private individuals and scientists, its single-seat version will go on sale 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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