Autodesk Inventor of the Month achieves rapid development of specialty watercraft

Manufacturing News, Source : The Manufacturer US
Zone : Design and innovation
Published : 22 Jan 2007 23:42

Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today announced that Marine Advanced Research, a developer of advanced technologies for seagoing vessels, has been named as the Autodesk Inventor of the Month for January 2007.

The Inventor of the Month program recognizes the most innovative design and engineering advancements made by the extensive community of customers using Autodesk Inventor software, the world's best-selling 3D mechanical design software and best choice for 3D design.

Founded by the husband and wife team of Ugo and Isabella Conti, the mission of Marine Advanced Research (www.wam-v.com) has been to develop new seagoing technologies that redefine ways in which vessels go to sea. This vision led Marine Advanced Research to develop the WAM-V: the Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel.

An entirely new class of vessel, a WAM-V is wave adaptive, meaning that its hulls conform and follow the surface of the water, rather than pushing, slapping or piercing the waves.

“In many ways, a WAM-V is designed and built more like an automobile than a traditional vessel, because it has hinges, springs and various other components that move in relation to each other,” said Dr. Ugo Conti, president and CEO of Marine Advanced Research. “It’s a totally new technology for seagoing vessels, and it can bring enhanced performance to a variety of watercraft applications, from search and rescue and patrolling, to leisure and research.”

This complex technology was developed using Autodesk Inventor software, which the company says "seamlessly brings together 2D and 3D design processes, and allowed Marine Advanced Research to rapidly evolve the WAM-V from design to prototype."

“With Inventor software, we are able to see our design ideas in 3D and examine them from every possible angle,” said Conti. “This visualization is incredibly helpful from a mechanical standpoint, as it allows us to spot potential problems in the design before we begin manufacturing.”

After several rounds of digital prototyping with Autodesk Inventor software, Marine Advanced Research produced a 100-foot WAM-V working prototype. The vessel has already made a test cruise along the Pacific coast and will be making her preview in the San Francisco Bay Area on January 18, 2007.

“Companies like Marine Advanced Research are redefining the parameters of achievable design concepts through their use of Autodesk solutions,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, vice president of Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. “The WAM-V is a bold new innovation in seagoing technology, and we are pleased to name Marine Advanced Research as our Inventor of the Month for January.”

Each month, Autodesk selects an Inventor of the Month from the more than 600,000 users of Autodesk Inventor software, its best-selling 3D mechanical design software. Winners are chosen for engineering excellence and groundbreaking innovation.

Comments on this story

click here to add a comment