NEW ELECTRONICS

A touchscreen display from Lumishore; Furuno’s new SiriusXM weather receiver; and ACR personal locator beacons.

While the Panorama VBS is intuitive and user-friendly, Team Italia says captains need four to eight hours of training. And, the company’s technical director says, “The Team Italia technical staff is always available for further training or to help facilitate customer-requested customization options.” ¶ Ceccanti sees the system’s ability to deliver panoramic views around the yacht as its biggest innovation, however, he also points to the system’s heads-up displays (HUD) as useful tools for negotiating the marine environment. Unlike augmented reality, which overlays data onto video imagery, HUDs present data on transparent screens. ¶ “The HUD allows users to overlap the main navigational information such as course, waypoint, AIS and radar targets with the actual view while sailing,” he says. ¶ Just like the systems aboard modern, fly-by-wire jetliners, the Panorama VBS allows an operator to control all systems and instrumentation via a few screen taps, while other tasks happen automatically. ¶ “The Panorama VBS has its own automation, monitoring and power-management systems, which are perfectly integrated with the system’s navigation and steering functions,” Ceccanti says. Third-party control systems also can be integrated. ¶ Factor in the Panorama VBS’s ability to plan routes and view cartography that’s overlaid with AIS and radar data, as well as the system’s stunning graphics and intuitive user interface, and it’s easy to understand why Team Italia continues to be seen as a leader in the integration of systems. ¶ Of course, as with any impressive technology, it’s important to remember that what’s at the helm is only a tool of safe navigation. It’s critical that operators maintain their comfort and familiarity piloting their vessels the old-fashioned way, perchance calamity strikes. ¶ But for anyone who is considering a new build or refit with a deep dive into onboard integration and helm-side situational awareness, Team Italia’s Panorama VBS could be worth serious consideration.