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Robotic power steering assist for your windsurfer
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winfreak



Joined: 26 Apr 2001
Posts: 61
Location: Oregon Coast

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:55 am    Post subject: Robotic power steering assist for your windsurfer Reply with quote

Greetings.
I work for a (behind the scenes) company that creates and implements disruptive wind and wave water-sport innovations. We believe strongly in user driven innovation.
Thus the questions for you all here:
#1:Would you be interested in a high tech board (with proprietary user interface) that offered substantial increases in BOTH stability and response? (think Segway for water-sports)
You would sacrifice some FEEL (just as with power steering and brakes in a car) but would gain capability with much less work and skill required.
Question #2: Do you lean toward riding a board through getting to know and love it and learning how to help it best do it's thing (soul surfer) or do you want a board you must dominate and control (power surfer) or both?
#3: If you had to pick: Stability (settled down) vs responsiveness (twitchy) ?
Question #4: Purist vs. bring it! Are you happy doing what you are doing now or would you consider embracing a radical change to the equipment?

Thanks for your input. We have technology that could be applied to many sports that involve planing boards on water but are looking toward windsurfing first as it appears to be the most complicated to learn, difficult to master, and that has room for growth (in multiple ways) and therefore would benefit most.

P.S. We a have a little office pool going as to how many of you post before one of your most "active" members weighs in (and at what length)!
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rangerider



Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The subject line, if it isn't a joke, implies increased weight, cost, and complexity / possibility of equipment failure - all bad. As a windsurfer though I love the gear and I think most of us are interested in innovations that broaden the performance envelope. Can't really answer your questions unless your idea works, which given all the things that go into "steering" while windsurfing seems unlikely. What is your concept? What evidence that it works?
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winfreak



Joined: 26 Apr 2001
Posts: 61
Location: Oregon Coast

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rangerider:
You are correct as to the drawbacks.
It does work, and amazingly well. Performance is dramatically enhanced, especially in more challenging conditions. Can not say more at this time.
This is in development stage, NOT a product for sale. Deciding whether to go forward with a very expensive undertaking.
We'll take your answers to #1 and #4 as qualified YES.
Could you address #2 and # 3? Pertains more to your sailing style currently.
Thanks!
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drysuit2



Joined: 01 Apr 1997
Posts: 119

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No.
Sport is supposed to be hard.
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rangerider



Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, windsurfing is already too expensive - the more into it you are the less the cost bothers you. This sounds like a product most appealing to beginner and intermediate sailors who will be less likely to embrace the cost. Invent something that costs and weighs nothing that will uphaul a 9+ meter sail for you - that would be great. How is performance enhanced - better control in gusty / choppy conditions? Controlling the sail in those conditions is how I get my cardio workout- that being said i'll take stabe over twitchy. I don't understand question #2.
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shahn1508



Joined: 19 Dec 2004
Posts: 39

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 2:24 pm    Post subject: Let me guess. Reply with quote

You are building kiteboards.
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edoremus337



Joined: 27 Aug 2011
Posts: 138

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Definitely an interesting idea. I agree with rangerider in that this will be more appealing to the beginner crowd. As you progress your skills in windsurfing, you want something that is a bit twitchy and aggressive that allows you to do quick and snappy turns in waves/chop. Weight is a HUGE factor in this and I cant imagine what weight you would be adding by placing mechanical features on a board.

One of the beauties about windsurfing and any sailing sport in general is that you only rely on wind to have your fun. As soon as you add in mechanical aspects, you kind of loose that free feeling that you can only get while under sail. But with that being said, having some sort of traction control for a windsurfing board could be very appealing to some. I imagine all the veterans and pros out there will be against this though.

1: Definitely interested as it could bring more and more people into the sport.
2: Not really sure what you're trying to say here
3: Mix of both. I am in between freeride sailing and trying to get more into wave sailing. For freeride, stability all the way. For wave sailing, responsiveness. Your system will not be able to accommodate both types of sailing (I imagine).
4: Always open to new things!
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wynsurfer



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 940

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What are you talking about? What's a propietary user interface? Disruptive wind and water sports innovations?

Is this a Joke?
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Jim.od3



Joined: 25 Aug 2012
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it FUN?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Robotic power steering assist for your windsurfer Reply with quote

winfreak wrote:
P.S. We a have a little office pool going as to how many of you post before one of your most "active" members weighs in (and at what length)!

I predict that he will respond within 15 seconds with 273 words.
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