North America
Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021, Volvo Penta announced the commercial availability of its Assisted Docking technology to acclaim and recognition. Named a finalist by Engadget for the Best of CES in the transportation category, the innovative system will help make boating easier and more accessible to boaters both experienced and new to the sport.
This year marked the first time Volvo Penta participated in CES, highlighting the increasingly important role that technology plays in the world of boating. “I was thrilled to see Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking system so well received. We felt it was a natural fit to tell our story at the largest, most world-renowned technology exhibition, and the positive reception means a lot to us,” said Volvo Penta President and CEO, Heléne Mellquist. “The excitement we saw at our virtual booth, the great media reviews and being recognized as a Best of CES finalist, validates our work in automation and cements Volvo Penta’s position as a serious contender in tech innovation. I feel very proud and lucky to lead such an incredible team.”
Volvo Penta saw excitement around Assisted Docking on the exhibition floor, albeit virtually this year, and a positive media reception. The Assisted Docking system was named a finalist for the Best of CES award in the Transportation Technology category from Engadget, with other key business and technology media, such as Forbes, SlashGear, and TechRepublic also covering the launch of the long-awaited advance in leisure boating.
The Engadget editorial team called the Assisted Docking system “unexpected,” as both judges and presenters of the Best of CES Awards for the eighth consecutive year, and said “The Volvo Penta Assisted Docking system is basically the same as the assisted parking feature on many high-end cars, but for boats. Using GPS and other on board sensors it can make adjustments on the fly to slide your yacht into even the tightest spots.”
Assisted Docking is a hybrid between automated docking and manual docking or semi-automated boat maneuvering. It integrates GPS, sensor, steering, transmission and engine control data to ease the docking process and make it more predictable. Docking can be one of the most stressful and challenging aspects of boating. The Assisted Docking system automates the driver’s intentions, compensates for wind and current, and gives the driver more control taking some of the stress out of docking.
“We decided to launch at CES because we wanted to share the easy boating experience we’ve been developing since 2006 with the broader technology community, and bring the wonderful experience that is leisure boating to new audiences and I’m so glad we did,” continued Mellquist. “Innovation is in our DNA and we’ve always worked toward making docking - one of the most challenging aspects of boating - as easy as possible and boating in general a more accessible activity. With Assisted Docking, I think we’ve accomplished that.”
To learn more or to download the full media kit, please visit: www.volvopenta.com/assisteddocking