Brunswick Corporation has announced a new Boating Intelligence Design Lab that will invest and expand the company's AI capabilities with the intention to expand autonomous applications in boating.
Brunswick is one of the largest and most influential companies in the boating industry. Their portfolio includes the likes of Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Bayliner, Harris, Lowe, Sea Ray, Princecraft, Thunderjet, Lowrance, Simrad, and Freedom Boat Club.
According to a press release, Brunswick will look to "refocusing its programs on developing Brunswick’s AI talent and capabilities, as well as supporting Brunswick’s product development teams as they incorporate AI into Brunswick’s next generation of products."
The move falls withing Brunswick's existing ACES strategy for expanding boating's capabilities -- Autonomous, Connected, Electrified, and Shared). The conglomerate has made significant investments in the last several years towards growing the applicability of things like autonomous docking, electrification, electric outboards, and AI-assisted boating programs.
What was previously known as Brunswick's I-Jet Lab at the University of Illinois Research Park will now be renamed the Boating Intelligence Design Lab (BI Design Lab) and will focus on the keynote topics mentioned above.
Brunswick is likely to begin testing and implementing their advancements in AI technology through the popular Freedom Boat Club -- a membership based boating subscription that gives non-owners access to boats across Freedom's extensive list of locations. The BI Design Lab is already supporting the development of Brunswick’s autonomous docking technology, but will now also advance work on AI-powered virtual agents, customized for marine applications, and other applications that will provide "smart assistance" to boaters.
“Our ACES strategy has matured over the past five years with many products like our Avator electric outboards, FATHOM power management system, and C-Zone mobile connectivity solution already in production,” said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO.
“We see an opportunity to embed AI functionality as one focus for our next phase of advanced technology and feature development, creating an opportunity for boats to evolve from an experiential product to an experiential partner.”
“Boating Intelligence can be manifested through the entire Brunswick portfolio of products and services, through integrated, smart, and intelligent technologies that amplify the boating experience,” said Brenna Preisser, Brunswick Corporation Executive Vice President and President, Business Acceleration.
“We see AI emerging into boating to help augment and simplify many activities and reduce the complexity of operating and navigating a boat. Freedom Boat Club provides a unique platform to develop and exploit these possibilities.”
Boaters can expect Brunswick and its fleet of brands to begin unveiling the latest iterations of AI-focused products at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2025. The company has previously used CES as its location for highlighting the latest in boating tech.
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