With boats featuring more electronic content than ever and technology playing an ever-growing role in manufacturing, it is no surprise that more and more companies in the leisure marine industry participate in the Consumer Electronics Show each year. In this series, IBI Correspondent Craig Ritchie highlights marine sector technology on exhibit at CES and other high-tech advances applicable to boating’s future.
Whether looking to integrate the latest high-tech engineering into new product designs or seeking new ways to utilise digitisation in the workplace, a growing number of manufacturers from the leisure marine sector are looking to the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as the key to future growth.
With more than 4,500 exhibitors lining the massive Las Vegas Convention Center and multiple satellite venues in a normal year, CES visitors from around the world have the opportunity to see the latest in current and emerging technologies including 3D printing, 5G mobile, artificial intelligence, ADAS, cybersecurity, next-gen propulsion systems, IoT/Sensors, robotics, telematics, smart manufacturing and sustainability.
”The boating industry is steering toward an electric future…. CES is a platform for companies to spotlight their vision for the future.”
– Richard Kowalski, Consumer Technology Association
Although an untimely surge in Covid numbers forced a number of exhibitors at the 2022 CES to change their plans at the last minute – including anchor exhibitors like Microsoft, Intel and General Motors – the range of innovation that was presented this year, both in person or in virtual format, remained no less impressive and points squarely at where the latest tech is leading us in the very near future.
Richard Kowalski, director, industry analysis and business intelligence at the US-based Consumer Technology Association, says that the increased prevalence of electronics in every facet of daily life creates unprecedented opportunities for industries like the leisure marine sector, which differentiate by providing unique and uplifting consumer experiences. This, he says, explains the growing number of marine sector companies attending CES every year, either as show visitors or by exhibiting new tech of their own.
“Boat industry manufacturers exhibiting at CES 2022 are highlighting advances in autonomy, similar to the automotive industry, which directly speaks to that enhanced consumer experience,” he says. “Boats are increasingly equipped with advanced driver assistance systems and other intelligent features that make piloting safer and easier.”
Kowalski adds that while new consumer products tend to generate the most media attention at the world’s largest technology trade fair, some of the most innovative and important technologies introduced are more closely related to design and fabrication applications, rather than end-user consumer goods. “The boating industry is steering toward an electric future, with some CES exhibitors showing new electric and hybrid propulsion systems,” he says. “CES is a platform for companies to spotlight their vision for the future, so it makes sense the increasingly tech-driven leisure marine industry would have a stronger presence.”
So what did you miss at CES this year? Here’s just a small sample.
Ran Marine
Innovations on display at CES weren’t just for boat builders, and didn’t come only from major multinationals. A wide range of smaller companies and start-ups were on hand to demonstrate new marine tech, including Netherlands-based Ran Marine which used the show to present its Waste Shark product for marinas.
Richard Hardiman CEO Ran Marine Technologies
The Waste Shark is a water-borne drone that harvests floating waste material including single-use plastics from the surface. Unlike static systems which are anchored in place, the Waste Shark actively searches for debris, following either a pre-programmed route or roaming autonomously within the confines of a geofence. The device uses 4G onboard communications for easy, intuitive operation and the ability for a marina to operate multiple units simultaneously.
Self-propelled and emission-free, the Waste Shark has a waste capacity of 180 liters (47.5 gallons) and an eight-hour runtime between charges, allowing the hardworking robot to remove up to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of waste per day.
“Our WasteShark offers a pragmatic solution for cleaning up the existing mess that is perpetuated on a daily basis, and effectively prevent waste from reaching the open ocean,” says RanMarine founder and CEO, Richard Hardiman. “With an ever-increasing plastic pollution challenge at hand, we need to reduce costs, increase capture rates and make these solutions ever more affordable and easier to deploy for every city and port globally.”
Hardiman notes that the WasteShark is now in active use by marinas in the US, the UAE, the UK, Australia and South Africa.
WasteShark, the world’s most popular shark, is ready for CES
CES has begun. The Netherlands is being represented there by fifty start-ups and twenty scale-ups. RanMarine is one of them.
About RanMarine
When Richard Hardiman, founder and CEO of RanMarine, saw two people on a boat fishing garbage out of the sea during his daily cup of coffee at the Port of Cape Town, he thought: this should be able to be done differently. So, WasteShark was born; a water drone that collects biomass and debris from the ocean’s surface. Almost six years later, the start-up is now preparing for the world’s largest tech trade fair: CES.
There are currently 26 WasteSharks sailing around the world in the most diverse of places. They keep the parks of Disney clean as well as harbors in Spain. And recently the United Nations also became a customer. Esther Lokhorst, COO at RanMarine, talks about the preparations for the CES trade fair and the company’s latest developments.
The WasteShark, what kind of shark is that exactly?
Esther Lokhorst, COO at RanMarine commented
“A really extraordinary one! It is a water drone modeled on the whale shark. The WasteShark does not disturb or threaten aquatic life, it is small (157 cm by 109 cm) and electric. This offers a lot of advantages. For instance, when it comes to clean-up boats, you have to clear the entire wharf before they can get to work. Our water drone is much more flexible and sails in between everything. In addition, the Shark can run for eight to ten hours on one battery and collect 500 kilograms of waste in a net attached to the bottom of the drone. They are all linked to our portal. Through that portal, customers plan the required route and GPS routes guide them to the right location. Lidar can also be added to increase the level of safety.”
But, the WasteShark can do more than just clean up, right?
“Yes, the drones are also capable of measuring data, such as pollution levels and the presence of algae. If there are enough of our sharks swimming around the world, that data will then become extremely interesting. We eventually plan to make that data available to governments and NGOs, so that we can fight pollution together.”
Over at the CES, you will be launching a new creation – the SharkPod. Tell us about it!
You have to see the SharkPod as a collection point where five WasteSharks can empty their trash. The Pod also enables the Sharks to communicate with and support each other. We are also working on the OilShark, which skims oil off the surface of the water, as well as the four-by-two-meter MegaShark. Whereas the WasteShark is designed for inland waters and coastal waters, the MegaShark can really venture out into the ocean.”
Where will RanMarine be in five years?
“Our ambition is to have drones in key, strategic locations across all continents around the world. In five years’ time, we will hopefully have offices in several different countries, including the United States. We are, and will remain, an engineering company. We are manufacturing the first series of new machines ourselves, but beyond that, we will outsource the manufacturing. I also think that by then we will have developed new technologies that respond to environmental problems, such as blue-green algae.”
You are attending CES this week – the largest technology trade fair in the world. Are you ready for the American onslaught that will be coming your way?
“I’m curious, it’s the first time for us. The NL Mission has prepared us very well and we will bring a drone with us. We’re really looking forward to it, but at the same time we find it really exciting!”
What makes it so exciting?
“I think the fact that we don’t have a salesperson. So, we really have to do that ourselves. Sales is our biggest challenge in any event – I don’t think we have all the skills in house yet to market our drones through cold acquisitions. In that regard, CES and the preparation for it are actually extremely educational.”
CES will take place from 5 January to 8 January in Las Vegas.
Written by Aafke Eppinga 0f Innovation Origins NL on 6 January 2022
Plastic Marine litter is one of the biggest threats to ocean life and humans. Now that there is more plastic in the water than fish, new solutions are desperately needed to radically reduce the harmful effects of microplastics. That’s why the Dutch start-up RanMarine Technology is showing the WasteShark USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) at CES 2022, a floating drone designed to remove harmful plastic waste from waters and return it to shore before it can do damage.
Every year, 8 million tons of toxic plastic leak into our oceans. The UN Environmental Program predicts that this number will triple to about 35 million tons per year by 2040. RanMarine Technology, a startup of CleanTech Robotics, has come up with a solution to eradicate this pollution. The company invented multiple floating drones to clear waterways, canals, rivers and ports of plastic before it leaks into the ocean. In addition, the company is introducing a new docking station, with which the drones can independently remove plastic for 24 hours a day.
Water quality analysis
The WasteShark is designed to intelligently harvest plastic and biomass waste from urban waterways in smart cities, ports and ports. In addition to waste harvesting the drone also collects critical water quality data. The drone can be controlled directly by an operator or used in Autonomous mode. In this latter scenario, users can set the route and mission remotely via an online dashboard.
WasteShark’s features
With 180 liters (47.5 gallons) of capacity and an 8-hour runtime, this hardworking robot can remove 500kg (1100lb) of waste a day. The WasteShark is also easy to use and deploy. Using 4G onboard communications and an easy setup process, launching multiple drones has been made deliberately simple and easy for customers. Additionally, the drone uses advanced battery technology ensuring emission-free operation on the water, and not adding to the water’s pollution. This makes the WasteShark one of the solutions leading the way in the fight against plastic.
SharkPod Mothership
RanMarine will also introduce the SharkPod, the world’s first autonomous floating docking station for waste-clearing drones, at CES 2022. With the ability to deploy, dock and charge up to 5 WasteShark drones at any time, this latest tool in pollution-fighting technology will enable ports, harbors and cities to operate a 24-hour autonomous solution to remove floating waste from the water.
With the ability to remove 1 ton of waste per drone per day, RanMarine expects the SharkPod to be capable to remove up to 100 tons or more of debris and waste per month. With the prototype unit that will be deployed in 2022, among other places in the Port of Rotterdam, drones will be able to dock, discharge waste, recharge and redeploy on a continuous 24-hour basis: all from a centrally controlled online environment.
New approach to current problems
The brainchild of RanMarine founder and CEO Richard Hardiman: “We have an epic battle on our hands. Current technologies are simply not working, we need a modern approach to a modern problem, and for me robots and autonomous drones were an easy and simple answer. Of course it’s critical to create policies and strategies to stop plastic waste from entering our waterways as a primary strategy. Our WasteSharks offer a pragmatic solution for cleaning up the existing mess that is perpetuated on a daily basis, and effectively prevent waste from reaching the open ocean.”
“With the release of the SharkPod, we aim to see full time deployment of WasteSharks with zero emissions and greater and quicker capture of toxic plastics in our waterways”, says Hardiman. “With an ever-increasing plastic pollution challenge at hand, we need to reduce costs, increase capture rates and make these solutions ever more affordable and easier to deploy for every city and port globally.”
Existing customers
RanMarine’s robotic products are designed to remove plastic waste and biomass such as algae from waterways; their clients span over twelve territories and are made up of civic and commercial entities including the Port of Houston, Disney theme parks, the United Nations and local and state authorities worldwide.
A lengthy list of tech players have decided not to visit Las Vegas, however. Strict Covid-19 quarantine requirements in China have complicated travel for many Chinese companies—including popular exhibitor and drone maker DJI—and Israel in December barred its citizens from traveling to the U.S.
Yet many companies still want to be in Las Vegas to get that face-to-face contact, CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said. “You can only do so much by video chat and on the phone,” he said.
An air purifier by Bemis Manufacturing Co
While in-person demos and unveilings will be sparse, expect plenty of news and not just from the traditional TV, audio and home-appliance categories. The auto sector has become such a big part of the show, it is taking over the Las Vegas Convention Center’s new West Hall expansion. And many other tech-adjacent companies view CES, even a thinly attended one, as a chance to get some attention.
“There’s always a bunch of stuff there I would have never thought of as consumer electronics,” said Tim Bajarin, a tech analyst with Creative Strategies. “But it’s a much more diverse show than it has ever been,” he added. He said he has been to CES 45 times—missing a few in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He had planned to attend again this year before Omicron interfered.
Here is what is expected to be on tap for this year, from family tech to food, with a sprinkling of metaverse, cryptocurrency and NFTs.
Getting comfy at home
We have spent two years mostly hanging out at home, and tech companies took notice. They are introducing products designed to help users relax and decompress when they aren’t typing at a computer or Zooming into a meeting. They have designed smart beds that can nudge you when it is time to wake up, bathtubs that maintain consistent water temperature and air purifiers that also add fragrances to a room.
Developers are focusing on sensor-assisted products like lamps, toilets and bathtubs that respond based on time of day, air quality or who is in the room, the latest evolution of the Internet of Things.
A Sleep Number bed
“It’s a move from a connected home to a smart home that uses environmental cues to signal the sound, the lights, the overall feel of the home,” said Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, a smart-home standards organization.
Bemis Manufacturing Co. will show off a new line of smart air purifiers designed to adjust automatically to indoor air quality and emit essential-oil aromas. At night, the gadgets sense that the lights are lowered, and reduce noise so you can sleep.
Sleep Number Corp. and Sleepme Inc. are among the companies unveiling next-generation bed tech with more-advanced sensing and response capabilities for adults. Cradlewise touts similar tech for babies, using artificial intelligence that can tell when children are waking, learn what music will soothe them and gently bounce them back to sleep.
CarePredict Inc. will show off an update to its wrist-worn Tempo device
Taking care of kids and parents
CES 2022 will have plenty of tech for the so-called “sandwich generation,” adults who care for both their kids and their parents: an AI-equipped baby monitor that can detect a covered face or a rollover, room sensors to track the movement of seniors, and health and activity wearables designed to meet the needs of every age group.
Florida-based CarePredict Inc. will show off an update to its wrist-worn Tempo that makes it easier for caregivers to communicate with their older loved ones (or make sure they are properly cared for). The new CareVoice feature lets people send audio messages to the watch wearer, whether it is greetings from a grandchild or a reminder to take medicine.
“It really is a human touch, even when you’re not there,” CarePredict CEO Satish Movva said. “Your voice on their wrist.”
The device already detects falls, and can send an alert when its wearer skips meals, sleeps less or has other activity out of the norm.
Orbisk will feature a device that uses image recognition to help hotels, restaurants and others reduce food waste.
Saving the planet
Many major technology companies have talked up efforts to make their products more environmentally friendly. That includes using more recycled materials, making their devices easier to repair and reducing the packaging surrounding the products.
Some of the products being shown at CES include a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered flying car concept from French company Maca, and a tabletop washer from another French firm, Auum, designed to cut down on single-use plastic by cleaning and drying a glass in 10 seconds.
RanMarine Technology’s WasteShark is a floating autonomous drone that cleans pollution from waterways and collects data on water quality.
Jong-Hee Han—vice chairman of Samsung Electronics and head of the company’s newly combined TV, home appliances and mobile division—will spend his keynote Tuesday outlining Samsung’s plans to make customizable and environmentally friendly tech.
From the Netherlands, RanMarine Technology will show off WasteShark, a floating autonomous drone that cleans pollution from waterways and collects data on water quality, while Orbisk will feature a device that uses image recognition to help hotels, restaurants and others reduce food waste.
A meat alternative made from fungi by MycoTechnology.
Cooking and eating
The buzziest thing at CES 2020, the last in-person show before the pandemic, wasn’t a gadget, software or a service, but Impossible Foods Inc.’s Impossible Pork, a plant-based meat designed to cook and smell like ground pork.
This year at the show, a half-day food-tech conference will showcase advances in areas such as agriculture, ingredient innovation, meal kits and deliveries, vertical farming and, of course, more plant-based meat. Impossible Foods will be there, as will MycoTechnology, which will debut a meat alternative made from fungi.
The conference will also cover “how robotics will change the face of food,” said Michael Wolf, founder of The Spoon, an online food-tech industry publication that is hosting the event. For instance, farm-equipment giant Deere & Co.will discuss how automation can address labor shortages and unpredictable weather.
Looking ahead
A tech industry battle is taking shape over the metaverse. WSJ tech reporter Meghan Bobrowsky explains the concept and why tech companies like Facebook, Roblox and Epic Games are investing billions to develop this digital space.
The metaverse is a hot topic right now. In October, Facebook Inc. changed its name to Meta Platforms Inc., in preparation for the internet’s next chapter: People strap on high-tech glasses so their avatars can interact, wherever they are in the world. At CES 2022, tech companies of all sizes are showing tools to build and navigate this virtual future.
Hyundai Motor Group will allow visitors to create avatars and test drive new concept cars in cyberspace. The startup Bhaptics will demo gaming gloves designed to replace hand-held VR controllers. Samsung is marketing its metaverse ambitions with a VR home-decorating platform.
And the conference is hosting a new program to discuss nonfungible tokens (aka NFTs), virtual certificates that show you own a digital object.
“Are we a little ahead of our skis on the topics of metaverse and NFTs? Yes,” said Maribel Lopez, principal analyst at tech-industry analysis firm Lopez Research. “But that’s kind of what CES is about.”
To contribute to the huge challenge of cleaning and monitoring our world’s waters, RanMarine Technology developed the patented WasteShark. It is the world’s first autonomous aquadrone designed for clearing marine plastic waste. At a running cost of 20% of other marine waste removal solutions and with zero emission operation, the intelligent WasteShark is easy to operate and maintain. The WasteShark is our first model and our roadmap includes products based on the WasteShark such as the OilShark and MegaShark. It is accessible to public and private entities that aim to contribute to restoring the marine environment to its natural state.
The WasteShark is an aqua-drone designed to be efficient and unobtrusive, it is an intelligent CleanTech tool used for removal of all-purpose waste and collecting data from waters.
RanMarine Technology’s ambition is to contribute to the challenge of cleaning and monitoring our world’s waters, RanMarine Technology developed the WasteShark. At a running cost of 20% of other marine waste removal solutions and with a zero emission operation, the intelligent WasteShark is easy to operate and maintain.
RanMarine Technology, selected as one of the CES® 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree, is the manufacturer of the WasteShark. The autonomous aquadrone is designed for clearing marine waste and monitoring water health near coastal waters, lakes and urban waterways. It is accessible to public and private entities such as government entities, ports, marinas as well as corporates looking to support the restoration of the marine environment.
