The Future of Life on the Water
The most transformative advances in leisure boat technology since steam replaced sail.
For more than a century…
leisurely life on the water presumed boats would be built around internal combustion engines and piloted by a person at the helm competent in a variety of skills not the least of which was engine maintenance and repair.
About AME
Stadiums
Built and monitors retractable roof systems at major sports venues worldwide – same sensor model applied to Sobe Sunset.
Kinetic Architecture
En-Fold, the world’s first and only pre-engineered, stadium-grade, fully automated retractable fabric awning, is the product of fifty years of engineering, design and honed expertise.
Aerospace
Launch facility construction – structural engineering at the highest reliability standard.
Aviation
Landing gear elevators, maintenance docking, and production-line assembly tooling.
31m prototype – sea trials completed 2023. Systems validated in operating conditions.
Hybrid-Electric Innovations
NO GENSET. NO RUDDER. NO FULL-TIME CREW.
Sobe Sunset is an electric boat that embodies a hybrid-electric propulsion system, composed of highly efficient diesel engines and lithium-ion battery powered electric motors.
The batteries are chargeable by the diesels, solar cells, dockside power and even tidal currents. And this is only one way the prototype vessel, Sobe Sunset, is a huge leap forward. Other innovations include:
- HVAC system (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) is solar-powered variable-speed
- Helm side-stick controls
- Differential thrusters replace a conventional rudder system
- Performance data is continuously analyzed onboard and sent ashore by satellite
- Operational commands can be sent back from an onshore operations center via satellite
The result is life on the water that is simpler, safer, less worrisome, less expensive, and less dependent on an onboard mechanically skilled crew.
Explore Innovations
The propulsion system of the prototype Sobe Sunset is hybrid electric/diesel. When cruising at up to eight knots, the propulsion — including forward and reverse operation — is all electric; when up to 11 knots, one of two diesel engines comes online; and when up to 14 knots both diesels are employed.
Any time a diesel is running it is also charging the lithium batteries through two generators, which are part of the onboard electric motors attached to the diesels. The lithium batteries are also charged through optional solar collectors and, at anchor, by means of tidal currents.
Sobe Sunset has no rudders. Nor does it have a traditional wheel or helm. It has made extraordinary improvements over both these aged maneuver mechanicals.
The main problem with rudders is that they are a principal source of drag. They add to drag even when aligned with the keel. In a turn, to some extent they add drag so that the bow is brought to a new heading.
Sobe Sunset has eliminated rudders and induces banking more in line with aircraft than seacraft. Sobe Sunset turns are affected by engine thrust differential. For a turn, one engine thrusts more than the other.
Cooling, heating and de-humidification for the interior environments onboard large vessels consume the most energy among all the vessels powered systems. Current systems simply turn on and off to meet air conditioning demands, wasting energy and drawing incredible power from the ships electrical system.
Our HVAC solution is a highly efficient digital scroll compressor controlled by variable frequency drive combined with temperature sensors throughout the vessel. A sophisticated control system regulates the compressor speed to meet the heating/cooling demands of the vessel’s various internal spaces as efficiently as possible, reserving more energy for travel and the other electrical systems onboard.
Our spud pole anchoring system is significantly safer and easier for an operator to deploy and retrieve than a conventional weighted anchor on a chain and allows the vessel to hold its position in a tight anchorage or in a channel.
The spud pole is raised and lowered hydraulically using seawater pumps, typically used for fire extinguishing and water extraction.
While anchored, our hybrid propulsion system can act as a generator using tidal flow to spin the propellers and charge the onboard batteries, supplementing the solar power generation and paving the way for self-sufficient boats.
The top of the spud pole chamber can also serve as an awning for shade on the bow.
Highly Intelligent
Remote Guidance & Operation
predictive maintenance
Our solutions are centered around making semi-autonomous, singlehanded operation a reality for large, complex boats. Our vessel-wide network of electric components, sensors, and controllers make it possible for a crew of engineers to operate remotely while increasing safety and comfort for those onboard.
Remote monitoring and operation of the vessel’s major navigation, engineering, and maintenance functions greatly reduces the need for onboard staff, resulting in a more intimate travel experience. The same systems used for remote monitoring are used to improve preventative maintenance capabilities, minimizing potential downtime due to unexpected maintenance.
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