New technology at the Monaco Yacht Show
The Monaco Yacht Show is not just about the yachts on display, there’s a wealth of tech to play with too…
They’re everywhere, those superyachts – at least that’s how it feels when you descend into the bowl of Monaco for the annual show. This year once again it Port Hercule is filled to the gunwales with superyachts of every shape and size, and the bay beyond is no less crammed. But while the boats are often the stars of this annual fleetfest, there’s more to Monaco than floating assets.
Peak in the tents around the quays and as likely as not you’ll find some interesting new tech or toy to play with. For 2017, a lot of the talk will be about Kymeta’s mTenna flat panel satellite antenna technology. Yes, it’s been talked about a lot, and yes they were at Monaco last year showing the panel’s abilities with one mounted atop The Superyacht Group’s VIP lounge in the corner of the port.
But this year, it’s different. This year, not only will Kymeta – in tandem with e3 Systems – be showing the panels once again, but they are also offering tours. Yes, metamaterials tech has made it on to not one but two superyachts, and both these yachts are around the show. The first is the motor yacht White Rose of Drachs; the second is iconic sailing yacht Maltese Falcon. Both have reported strong success after several months of trialling the panels and will be looking to integrate the panels properly into the yachts at the next opportunity, so it is clear that the tech really does work in real-world yachting conditions (and look out for more on the sea trials in our feature in the upcoming issue 183 of The Superyacht Report).
Meanwhile, bridge integration specialist Team Italia is using the Monaco Show to unveil its new AIR Wings bridge system. Few details are known at this point, but if last year’s new tech is anything to go by, it will be well worth checking them out.
Moreover, fellow integration and tech specialist Palladium Technologies is introducing two new bits of kit. The first, announced yesterday, is the next generation alarm, monitoring and control system called SiMON X. Building on the base of the evolved SiMON system – which was first conceived 26 years ago – SiMON X not only introduces new graphic interfaces and smart features, but also aims to start the ball rolling on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Creating an intelligent core for the key yacht systems that can learn and adapt to each yacht’s operational conditions is an exciting step forward. Palladium will be showing the tech on its stand, along with a second all-new product it has developed for control of essential guest services, AV and an onboard concierge system.
There is a lot, of course, to be uncovered simply by walking around, and no doubt the exhibition tents can also provide a welcome relief from the heat and crowds of the quayside walkways. One company that might be worth dropping in on, though, is California Audio Technology, the high-end audio specialists who have been behind some of the most truly spectacular audio installations and speaker systems yet seen. While details remain under wraps, I am told that they will be unveiling a new, entry level system for superyachts at Monaco this year. When it comes to CAT, ‘entry level’ certainly doesn’t mean ‘bargain basement’ so the new offering will undoubtedly raise a lot of interest.
Remember to check in regularly to both superyachtnews.com’s news pages and to our live Monaco blog for the duration of the Monaco Yacht Show to get the latest news, developments and tech releases as they happen.
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