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Robotic power steering assist for your windsurfer
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One. Twitch and looseness are not inherently synonymous. Many no-nose boards of the mid-90s were deliberately twitchy just for the sake of twitch; they were not looser. Likewise, some wave boards cut up waves and swell insanely, yet are still 100% trustworthy when blasting across any amount and size of chop at top speed. Your widget may be a leap forward, but a good hull and fin can go a long ways toward allowing both straight line stability and radical turning. Thus the real comparison must consider expense, hassle, durability, transferability among boards, and degree of improvement over leading, not just random, baselines.

Two. I demand a board that is better than I am (no lofty goal) but that submits to my every whim, often even before I know I wanted to do that. (I swear my 2008 Naish Pro 1111 often reads my mind.) If a board refuses my first few attempts to do what I want, it gets sold to a rider who doesn't want to do that or can do it better than I.

Three. I expect, and often get, both. A board that bites me in the butt when drag racing across chest-high chopswell OR thinks twice about reversing direction in under two seconds in that same terrain with both feet in their straps. That doesn’t allow or require twitch; it just requires a good shaper who wants that behavior and some rider practice.

Four. We old farts have seen many radical changes. Some were improvements, some were not, and many went both ways … pros and cons. Very few significant changes are panaceas.

Did I win?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

drysuit2 wrote:
No.
Sport is supposed to be hard.

Best response yet. Very Happy
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KevinDo



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Posts: 426
Location: Cabrillo Inside

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 6:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
drysuit2 wrote:
No.
Sport is supposed to be hard.

Best response yet. Very Happy


Very Happy Or the response regarding the Kiteboards haha

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rlemmens



Joined: 09 Feb 2008
Posts: 206

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

probably just a wavejet for windsurfers
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winfreak



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

PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:16 pm    Post subject: everyone wins! Reply with quote

We are very pleased at all the responses so far. (I personally won the pool saying he would make it on last half of page 1. But I had to share the spoils due to the longer post on page 2).

This is a real company I work for and we have tested multiple ideas on the water. Most have been deemed not feasible for many of the reasons brought forth here today. I personally think the robotic system is the most far out there and unlikely to succeed but it made for a great title. No doubt we will lead off with a small "why didn't I think of that" type change. Your input is very important and appreciated even though we can not give specifics and therefore you do not know what we are contemplating. This sport/equipment will continue to evolve, rest assured. We hope to help drive that in a significant way.

We welcome more comments/answers , questions, and ideas if you want to share them. Our ultimate goal is MORE FUN for you! Please tell us what your wants and needs are... Thanks again, all for now... Idea
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nw30



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6485
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast

PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, no, no, and no.
That would be like people wanting to get into golf, so they can drive the golf cart.
And if it were a high tech golf cart, even more people would want to play golf.

In fact, just throw the clubs away, they are too archaic, you could get the ball to go into the hole much easier with a lazar guided pointer of some kind.

Double in fact, just get rid of all challenges all together, we're better than that!
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shit, guess I'm not into Windsurfing. If you were into Windsurfing, you'd build both types so you could have one of each. Idea
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dcharlton



Joined: 24 Apr 2002
Posts: 414

PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My responses, cut and paste what Isobars said (minus the old farts...getting there but not just yet).

I'm intrigued about this apparatus and am guessing it's got something to do with water jet propolsion and directional fin turning with some automation uphaul device.

Anything you can do to bring young blood in the sport is a good thing. Yes, this sport is supposed to hard and that's a part of the appeal, however, if it makes it easier to learn and for newbies not to feel so out of place, I'm all for it.

Laughing
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winfreak



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

PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 10:29 am    Post subject: no free lunch Reply with quote

There is almost always a price to pay.
Bringing more participants into, or back to, the sport is generally perceived as desirable. Until the overcrowding factor kicks in. Access will need to grow as well.
Too easy, then here come all the folks we may not welcome so easily to our family.
Some embrace change and are early adopters, others fear it.
To reiterate, we are looking at introducing what we consider positive changes that address market needs and increase the fun factor while maintaining the essence of what windsurfing is all about.

Will not get into specifics because of intellectual property concerns and the needs of players in the space to prepare for product launch. Besides. don't you want to be able to be wowed and then instantly go try/buy it for yourself?

Question(s): of the known players (windsurf boards), who do you feel is the most innovative, understands what the average windsurfer wants, and is most likely to bring out a new disruptive (game changing) product?
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nw30



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6485
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast

PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Robotic power assist" seems to me to be directed towards cutting edge changes with the rig, not the board, it's the rig that provides the power, not the board. If you assisted the boards power, that would work against the rig, and keep going, then you have no need for a rig, those are already on the market, the Wave Jet.
As for the steering part, that is also mostly rig handling along with foot pressure, and today's fins are awesome.

"Robotic power assist" in windsurfing would be more like push button controls on the booms for remote reefing (changing the size) and tuning your sail while sailing. One rig that could give you the power of a 3.5 to a 6.5 w/o changing a thing, just press some buttons.

If I were Sir Richard Branson.
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