Abstract: Various aspects include a robot and method of using the robot, which includes a chassis and a forward propulsion auger. The chassis may include a forward section a rear section; and a maneuvering gimbal. The forward propulsion auger may be positioned on a leading end of the forward section and coupled to a first drive motor. The forward propulsion auger may include at least one fluid nozzle configured to eject a fluid therefrom.

Abstract: This invention relates a removable seat for watercraft 10 of the type having a hull or underside 13 and a deck 14, and wherein the deck is connected to the hull by side portions or rails 15, and said deck includes retaining means in the form of one or more recesses 20 formed in or attached to the deck. The seat includes a seat base 112 and a backrest 111, and anchoring means 130 connected to structural means supporting said backrest, said anchoring means extending generally away from a lower portion of said backrest and a rear portion of said seat base, and wherein said anchoring means is locatable within a respective one of the retaining means 20.

Abstract: Devices, such as aerodynamic kites used in kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing), handheld aerodynamic wings used in wing foiling and wing surfing, and paddles used in paddleboarding, for generating a force for powering a user on an appropriately configured vehicle, such as a kiteboard, kitesurfing foilboard, hydrofoil board, surfboard, wing board, wing foil board, stand up paddleboard, stand up paddleboard with hydrofoil, roller skates, rollerblades, skateboards, snowboards, skis, or ice skates, to traverse across a body of water, sand, earth, paved area, snow, or ice, are provided with a thrust generating device (e.g., an electric ducted fan system) to assist in generating said force.

Abstract: An underwater docking system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: an underwater vehicle that sails in water; and an underwater station with which the underwater vehicle docks. One of the underwater vehicle and the underwater station includes: a reference point; and a first fitting located around the reference point as a center. The other of the underwater vehicle and the underwater station includes: a detector that detects the reference point; and a second fitting located around the detector as a center and fitted to the first fitting. One of the first fitting and the second fitting is an annular groove. The other of the first fitting and the second fitting includes at least two protrusions that are inserted into the annular groove.

Abstract: A swimming/scuba diving fin having a blade, a shoe open at the rear, an adjustable elastic strap engageable around the heel of the scuba diver, and two buckles at opposite ends of said adjustable elastic strap connected to two opposed side walls of said shoe, where at least one said buckle has a shaped hollow body forming integrally a portion connecting to said side wall, a channel for the axial sliding of the adjustable elastic strap, and a releasable fastening clamp of the adjustable elastic strap, where such an axial sliding channel has a hole for the inlet of the adjustable elastic strap, a hole for the outlet of the adjustable elastic strap and a deflection angle of the adjustable elastic strap positioned between such an inlet hole and such an outlet hole.

Abstract: A marine drive is configured for propelling a marine vessel in a body of water. The marine drive has a transom bracket assembly configured to mount the marine drive to the marine vessel, a drive assembly coupled to the transom bracket assembly and configured to generate a thrust force in the body of water, the drive assembly being trimmable up and down relative to the transom bracket assembly, a cooling water pump configured to pump cooling water from the body of the water for cooling at least one component of the marine drive, and a rigid cooling water conduit extending from the drive assembly to the transom bracket assembly, the rigid cooling water conduit being configured to convey the cooling water from the drive assembly to the cooling water pump.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, in one aspect of the disclosure, to an inflatable water sport safety garment for providing buoyancy to a wearer comprising a harness structure, at least one handle, and at least one inflatable flotation device. The harness structure may include at least two shoulder portions, at least one torso portion encircling the torso of the wearer and attached to the shoulder portions, and at least one central portion connected to the shoulder portions.

Abstract: An arrangement including a gearwheel connected to the propulsion unit, a steering electric motor operatively connected to the gearwheel and controlled by a drive, a force transmission arrangement including a clutch between the gearwheel and the steering electric motor, and a measurement unit for measuring rotational motion positioned at each side of the clutch. The steering electric motor is arranged to rotate the gearwheel and thereby also the propulsion unit. A difference in the output signals of the two measuring units indicating slipping of the clutch is detected. The steering electric motor is controlled to at least reduce the difference in the output signals when the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A boat hull washing apparatus includes a left structure and a right structure, one or more brushes arranged to wash a hull of a boat positioned between the structures. The apparatus is provided with a boat positioning assembly that includes a left and a right boat pushing device. The left and right boat pushing devices are attached to left/right structures respectively. The left boat pushing device is arranged to bias a boat, located between the left and right structures, away from the left structure, and the right device functions similar away from the right structure. In this way, the pushing devices are arranged to hold the boat in a lateral position. Using this arrangement of the left and right pushing devices to bias the boat away from the left and right structures, respectively, a single force generating unit is connected to both pushing devices.

Abstract: Propulsion device with outboard waterjet for marine vehicles, which comprises a nacelle (2) which at its interior houses a propeller (3) constituted by a pump (11) actuatable for generating a flow of fluid through the nacelle (2) according to an outflow sense (VF). The nacelle (2) comprises: a front dynamic intake (12) having passage sections substantially increasing according to the aforesaid outflow sense (VF), in a manner such to cause a slowing of the local speed of the fluid and a pressure rise; a rear discharge nozzle (14) having passage sections substantially decreasing in the outflow sense (VF) of the fluid, in a manner such to cause an increase of the local speed of the fluid and a pressure decrease, creating a propulsive thrust jet at the outlet of the discharge nozzle (14).

Abstract: Various implementations include a clamping storage device. The device includes a clamping assembly having a proximal stop, a gas spring, and a distal stop. The proximal stop extends along a proximal stop longitudinal axis. The gas spring has a gas spring longitudinal axis, first end, and a second end. The first end of the gas spring is coupled to the proximal stop. The distal stop is coupled to the second end of the gas spring and extends along a distal stop longitudinal axis. The proximal stop longitudinal axis and the distal stop longitudinal axis are both locatable in an assembly plane that incudes the gas spring longitudinal axis. The gas spring is biased toward an extended position and urgable toward a retracted state. The gas spring is movable toward the extended position in an unlocked state and is prevented from being moved toward the extended position in a locked state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sail comprising a head, a tack, and a luff extending between the head and the tack; a luff region extending along the luff; wherein the luff region has a significantly higher degree of elasticity compared to the average elasticity of a remainder of the sail. Also disclosed is a method of making a sail comprising laying out material to form the sail; arranging material in a luff region of the sail and in the remainder of the sail such that in the direction of the luff, the luff region has a higher degree of elasticity compared to the remainder of the sail; curing or sewing the sail to form a cohesive structure.

Abstract: A combination float and bracket assembly for a floating structure that includes a float body made of closed-cell foam with a plurality of transversely aligned L-shaped brackets that extend upward from the float body's top surface. Each bracket includes horizontal and vertical flanges, During manufacturing, a plurality of bracket cutouts are formed in the float body's top surface, and a bracket is then inserted into each bracket cutout so that the brackets' vertical flanges extend upward above the top surface. Connectors attach the vertical flanges to a frame member. In one embodiment, a transversely aligned void area is formed in the float body adjacent to the vertical flange. The void area receives the frame member that extends over the top surface of the float body and attaches to the vertical flange. Also disclosed is a floating structure with a frame attached to a plurality of float and bracket assemblies.

Abstract: A field configurable vehicle includes bladders located interior of the vehicle hull walls. One or more of the bladders can be filled with fluids of varying densities to manage the buoyancy, mass properties, and thermal heat dissipation of the vehicle.

Abstract: Vessel equipped with a hydrodynamic duct of flow management at the bow composed by a horizontal wall portion (2) extending at each side of the centerline (CL) of the bow of the vessel (8), at least one additional horizontal wall portion (1) positioned above the horizontal wall portion (2) at the region of the waterline adapted to managing surface waves and a pair of lateral wall portions (5) connected at each end of the horizontal wall portions (1) and (2) and extending upwardly at each side of the bow thereby forming in conjunction with the horizontal wall portions (1) and (2) a circumferentially closed duct, inside which, the flow is entirely differentiated from the flow outside the duct, such differentiation resulting at a reduction of the wave making resistances and of the required rated horsepower and fuel consumed for the navigation of the vessel.

Abstract: Apparatus for facilitating recovery of objects from a hydraulic channel containing a flowing fluid, the apparatus comprising: a porous planar surface for disposition within the hydraulic channel, the porous planar surface being elevated in the direction of flow in the hydraulic channel at an angle to a plane extending normal to the force of gravity such that the horizontal component of the angle of elevation is greater than the vertical component thereof; wherein the porous planar surface is configured to permit the fluid flowing in the hydraulic channel to flow through the porous planar surface without materially obstructing the flow of the fluid in the hydraulic channel.

Abstract: An unmanned underwater vehicle having movable thrusters between a first configuration, in which axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, are parallel, and a second configuration, in which the axes of rotation of both the thrusters, when co-planar, interest. The thrusters may also rotate about the pylons that attach the thrusters to the body of the unmanned underwater vehicle. Also a method of operating the unmanned underwater vehicle in both configurations.

Abstract: The swivel lock quick release device is adapted to selectively attach a user to a sports equipment. The sports equipment may be watersports equipment, such as a surfboard, a kite surfing apparatus, a stand-up paddle board, sailing equipment, a wake board, etc., or land sports equipment, such as fishing, camping, climbing, animal collars or leashes, tactical rifle apparatus, and hunting equipment. The swivel lock quick release device can have a pull release and a protrusion, the pull release and the protrusion being adapted to be selectively engaged in a locked position is provided. A slide handle, a portion of the pull release, is adapted to be selectively moved in a coaxial direction by the user to disengage the pull release and the protrusion. The pull release can also be adapted to rotate or swivel around the protrusion.

Abstract: A watersports boat is equipped with a trimmable drive used to generate a virtual ballast effect. Turbulence experienced by a wake rider on startup is reduced by automatically varying the drive orientation as the watersports boat comes up to speed. A pair of water channelers are located at the stern. One of the water channelers is deployed below the running surface to redirect water across centerline and improve wake shape on the selected side.

Abstract: A stowable propulsion device for a marine vessel having a deck. A base is configured to be coupled to the marine vessel below the deck. A propulsor is configured to propel the marine vessel in water. An arm couples the propulsor to the base such that moving the arm moves the propulsor into and between a stowed position located proximate to the marine vessel and a deployed position located relatively distal from the marine vessel as compared to the stowed position, and such that moving the arm rotates the propulsor about the arm. An actuator comprises a first link movably coupled to the base and a second link that movably couples the first link to the arm. An actuator moves the actuator linkage to thereby move the propulsor into and between the stowed position and the deployed position.