Sponsored article.
Be it the iPhone for mobile phones or Tesla for car manufacturing: numerous industries have been turned upside down by digital transformation and start-ups, however there are still a few industries remaining that seem to be stuck in a fairytale slumber. The marine electronics industry is one that still seems to be in the firm grip of a few established manufacturers who have not presented major product innovations for years. One looks in vain for radically new products and innovative business models - until now.
ORCA (getorca.com) is the first tech start-up that has set out to reinvent the boating industry and, in particular, navigation at sea. The start-up from Norway has designed a new concept for boat navigation at sea: the ORCA Marine Co-Pilot.
Navigation systems for boats rethought
The founding team is made up of marine electronics industry veterans and is presenting a new take on marine navigation like chartplotters, MFDs, and navigation apps. The ORCA Marine Co-Pilot is a combination of a waterproof portable display, a digital hub to the boat and a new marine navigation app. In addition to the important navigation information and automatic route calculation, ORCA also provides access to the sensors available in the boat and shows them on a portable display and the user's smartphone. For this purpose, ORCA connects to the boat via the industry-standard NMEA2000 to show the boat captain his instruments and sensor information like fuel level, wind direction or water depth and accounts for his information in the navigation experience of the App.
In contrast to conventional navigation systems, ORCA offers mobile internet connectivity and WiFi. This enables the system to automatically update maps and to synchronize routes on up to four other mobile devices in addition to its own ORCA display. Maps are updated without using SD cards or other complicated methods. Even on the high seas - if there is no connection - ORCA remains a fully-fledged navigation system thanks to pre-installed offline charts.
Another feature is the integrated real-time weather forecast, which shows the boat driver proactively and early on unexpected changes in the weather such as strong wind or rain.
Thanks to its WiFi connectivity ORCA can automatically update maps and to synchronize routes. Photo:getorca.com
Hardware made for the marine environment
Not every boat owner uses the expensive plotters and multifunctional displays from the established players. Many use a nautical chart app on their smartphone for easier use compared to the complicated but powerful current day chartplotter. A typical problem remains how to display the apps in direct sunlight at sea without the device overheating after a few minutes. Additionally smartphone displays are not designed for use at sea and fail as soon as they get wet. ORCA, on the other hand, is robust, IP 68 certified and recognizes touch gestures even when the display is wet. It also comes with a sturdy mount for hands-free navigation. So it is ideal for boaters who are on the move with an open cockpit or in demanding weather. ORCA also contains a long-life, long-lasting battery and communicates wirelessly. This allows boaters to plan their trip from the boat cabin, on the beach or even from home. Learn more at getorca.com
