In recent years, the integration of systems and components to achieve varying degrees of automation has made significant inroads on recreational boats, including medium-small sized vessels, both new and refitted.
"System/Software Integration", already widespread in industrial settings, can — when properly implemented — also improve comfort and safety on board while optimizing energy efficiency and boat management.
What is meant by home automation in the nautical sector?
Nautical home automation refers to the use of intelligent HW/SW technologies for the automated control of various systems on board a vessel. Through interconnected devices, advanced sensors and management software, it is possible to remotely monitor and control various aspects of the boat, such as lighting, air conditioning, security and energy consumption.
The use of communication protocols such as NMEA2000, ModBus, EmpireBus and PLCs and/or electronic boards is becoming increasingly widespread.
Automation applications on boats
On-board automation covers several areas:
Energy management: Smart systems regulate energy consumption, optimizing the use of batteries, solar panels and generators.
Safety: Smart monitoring of critical systems and anomaly detection systems can ensure real-time control both locally and remotely.
Environmental control: Smart thermostats and ventilation systems automatically regulate the boat's internal temperature.
Assisted navigation: Advanced autopilots, smart radar and weather monitoring software assist in voyage planning and navigation.
Entertainment and comfort: Multimedia systems with centralized control allow music, video and lighting to be managed with a simple touch on a screen or via voice commands.
System/Software Integration examples
Dutch manufacturer Victron Energy, known for its electrical and electronic products and components with a strong focus on integration, offers the possibility of building smart systems through the use of an open gateway, CERBO GX, which integrates with Victron and third-party products and components.
To expand integration possibilities, the Cerbo GX hosts a Signal K Server and allows Node Red programming for connecting components to each other, either as an alternative to or alongside a PLC.
| A particularly interesting example is the integration developed by Victron with the most popular chart plotters, achievable either through the push of an HTML5 page displaying the main parameters of connected devices, |  |
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or through the connection of the CERBO GX to an NMEA2000 data network. |
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