Sighting of the Week – Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel

Our friends at Panbo, The Marine Electronics Blog clued us in on this rare San Francisco Bay sighting today; the WAM-V also known as the spider boat. The company behind the research states:

Unlike conventional boats, the hulls of a WAM-V™ conform to the surface of the water. A WAM-V does not push, slap or pierce the waves. She utilizes flexibility to adapt her structure and shape to the water surface. Instead of forcing the water to conform to the hull, she gives and adjusts; she “dances” with the waves.

A superstructure is flexibly connected to specially designed pontoons by several components that actually move in relation to one another. A WAM-V™ has springs, shock absorbers and ball joint to articulate the vessel and mitigate stresses to structure, payload and crew. Two engine pods, containing the propulsion and ancillary systems, are fastened to the hulls with special hinges that keep the propellers in the water at all times.

What will this be used for? Any application in which a smooth ride is critical most notably research, passenger transport and emergency rescue operations. Maybe this is the solution our offshore friends have been looking for when their helicopters are fogged in or could it be the next generation of pilot boats?

The Manufacturer’s Website: LINK

Updated: June 13, 2012 (Originally published September 25, 2007)

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