The invasion of Ultrawide. Why today’s MFPs are getting bigger and bigger
THE PERFECT GIFT!
Give or treat yourself to a subscription to the print + digital Journal of Sailing and for only 69 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
The evolution of chartplotters has transformed planks, with increasingly larger multifunction screens, similar to the XXL displays in modern cars. Goodbye buttons: the future points to intuitive interfaces inspired by tablets and smartphones, with increasingly full integration of home automation and onboard systems as well.
In recent decades, the evolution of chartplotters and multifunction displays aboard boats has experienced a momentous shift, surprising (and sometimes displacing) the most traditionalists. If, until just a few years ago, a boat’s dashboard was a patchwork of analog instruments and physical buttons, today boat wheelhouses increasingly resemble those of the latest generation of cars-where controls “disappear” and everything is operated from maxi touch screens, often larger than the tablets we are used to using.
From paper map to XXL multifunctional
The first compact chartplotters date back to the late 1980s; the maps were still rudimentary and with little detail, but they quickly replaced the paper medium (always useful as a backup). Originally small and monochrome, these instruments offered few functions-often just location and a simple trace on digital paper. Then came the first color screens, integrated data from onboard sensors, AIS, and, gradually, the ability to overlay radar, echo, wind, engine data, and much more on a single display.
The increase in the size of screens-a parallel trend to that of the automobile, where “tablet” displays now replace buttons and dials altogether-has further changed the relationship between the boat and the person driving it. Today we find even 15-, 19-, 22- or even 24-inch multifunction displays on board modern boats, often with ultrawide (i.e., ultra-wide) formats, capable of simultaneously displaying maps, environmental data, radar, cameras, sounder and home automation systems. This is the world of the “glass bridge,” the fully digital and customizable dashboard, thanks to touch interfaces increasingly similar to those of smartphones and tablets.
Goodbye physical buttons
A revolution! Definitely yes. On the planks, physical space is freed up, more order is maintained, and wear and tear or corrosion of physical buttons is prevented. Simplification! Perhaps, since multiple scenarios can be observed simultaneously with these tools, but essential functions are often not immediately available when needed. Remote management from mobile, cloud connection, home automation, and online updates are also now standard. Just like in the latest car models, you can now totally customize your experience-from the style of graphics to the division of windows, with the ability to manage infotainment as well, and even watch TV series…
Increasingly large, bright screens with anti-reflective/anti-fingerprint coatings allow perfect visibility even in the sun. Everything is touch and customizable, allowing you to always have all the information you want at your fingertips, a most powerful weapon for safety and comfort. The next step is the total integration of home automation, on-board electronics and automation, and from the multifunction display you manage every aspect of the boat. Of course, these changes bring new challenges: dependence on electronics is greater, a reliable and protected power supply is needed (as well as knowing how to return, in emergencies, to the use of analog instruments). But progress is unstoppable and the course is now set: the future of displays is extra-large.
The characteristics of Ultrawide displays
1 – Fake hand control
The interface of the multifunction display replicates in every way the appearance (and functions) of the physical button panel. Analog has been abandoned in form, but not in substance!
2 – Most obvious data
The main data, the ones you always need to have in sight, such as bottom depth and speed, are always shown larger on the display. By having more space, there is an opportunity to put them more prominently.
3 – Controls in the corners
The main controls are usually placed in the corners of the display. Thus they are easier to reach and there is no risk of clicking in the wrong place.
4 – The “little house” key.
The classic “home” command we see on TV remotes replicates the function of the “home” button we used to see (now gone) on smartphones. It allows you to return to the main menu where all functions are located.
5 – The sole survivor
The display on/off button is the only physical button “surviving” on XXL displays. It is actually not a physical button but a “touch” button, and it is the only button present external to the display with a function.
Four examples of “Ultralarge” models.
B&G Zeus S Ultrawide
12″ or 15″ ultrawide display designed for sailing, with high resolution and octa-core processor. It supports C-Map Reveal and Discover cartography, offers advanced sailing features and excellent connectivity for total control.
Raymarine Axiom2 XL
Available in 16″, 19″ and 24″ sizes, it offers powerful processor, Hydro Tough display and intuitive LightHouse 4 operating system. Integratable with radar, sonar and onboard systems, great for cruising and racing.
Garmin GPSMap 1523XSV Ultrawide
15″ ultrawide screen with high brightness and integrated sonar. Ideal for fishing and navigation, it manages radar, cameras and other systems via intuitive touch interface, with Garmin Navionics+ compatibility.
NAVnet TZTouch XL
Advanced system with 16″ to 24″ screens, detailed TZ MAPS and BathyVision maps. Touch control, complete networking and integrated radar/sonar management, perfect for fishing and cruising.
Share:
Check out the latest issue
Are you already a subscriber?
Ultimi annunci
Our social
Sign up for our Newsletter
We give you a gift
Sailing, its stories, all boats, accessories. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the Sailing Newspaper editorial staff each week. Plus we give you one month of GdV digitally on PC, Tablet, Smartphone. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button. You will receive a code to activate your month of GdV for free!
You may also be interested in.
Boat watches: 13 allies to have on your wrist when on board
The link between clocks and the sea stems from the practical need of boaters for accurate and durable instruments to orient themselves and keep track of the weather in often difficult conditions. Today there are highly advanced technological instruments to
Logbook, how to fill it out well and why it is important
Verba volant, scripta manent…together with the experts at Yacht Pro Hub*, we explain why to keep a logbook, how to fill it out, what not to forget for safe and conscious sailing Logbook, it’s worth it The SOLASRegulations(Chapter V) stipulate
The varnish of victory: Veneziani Yachting makes PoliMi Sailing Team fly.
Veneziani Yachting renews its commitment to support high-level youth sailing with a partnership with the PoliMi Sailing Team, the team of students from the Milan Polytechnic University that designs and builds the boats with which it then participates in university
VIDEO From motorized winch to Grip&Go handles: the latest Harken deck innovations
Are you thinking of upgrading your boat’s equipment and want to know the most interesting new features of the moment? Don’t miss the video we made at the last Genoa Boat Show, dedicated to Harken ‘s latest deck solutions! In
