Reimagining The Future of Water Transport & Shipping Exploring Hydrofoils: Reimagining Water Transport & Shipping

- Evolution of hydrofoils from 1800s to widespread adoption in 2020s

- Hydrofoiling in water transport is like flying on a wing for high efficiency.

- The propulsion and control systems of the water transport design.

- Valo Team outsources composite building to shipyard partners in Maine and Rhode Island.

- In-depth involvement in design process and varied projects at a startup

- Working on multiple projects simultaneously

- Smaller watercrafts have a larger market than assumed

- Overview of the global cargo shipping industry

- Start with smaller product for startups to build quickly and iterate on

- Transitioning to carbon vinylester composite for cost savings and material properties

- Reimagining water transport with electric boats and battery safety

- Design for manufacturing is essential in the water transport industry.

- Challenges in integrating radiator for water transport design

- Hydrofoiling generally scales well with boats getting larger in size or weight.

- Boat and hydrofoil safety and operation

- Factors driving the evolution of water transport technology

- Mobility and transportation industry accelerating innovation

- The future of water transport is about multimodal transportation and intelligent routing

- Reimagining water transport for increased convenience and utility

- Increased efficiency and flexibility of water transport

- Value of specialized skills in large companies

- Importance of practical experience in learning

- Key factors that define a startup and a successful company

- Role of Founders in Growing Companies

- Hands-on experience is key in education and startups

- Importance of documenting projects for credibility

- Importance of understanding tech and having a valuable product

- Rationality with numbers is crucial for business success

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Evolution of hydrofoils from 1800s to widespread adoption in 2020s

- Process of building a new water mobility company starting from a piece of paper to customer marketing

- Stages involved in building a flying electric boat company, including engineering specs, CAD modeling, procurement, and customer feedback

Hydrofoiling in water transport is like flying on a wing for high efficiency.

- The evolution from displacement hulls to planing boats to hydrofoils for improved speed and efficiency.

- The comparison of lift to drag ratio between planing boats and hydrofoils for water transport.

Propulsion and control systems of the water transport design.

- The propulsion system includes the main propulsion batteries, motor controller, motor, charger, and more.

- The control system involves flap actuators, rudder actuators, sensors, throttle, Yol, and the display for the user.

Valo Team outsources composite building to shipyard partners in Maine and Rhode Island.

- The physical hardware is off-the-shelf, developed in-house, and includes small embedded computers made by Dana.

- The composite tooling, including the hull and deck, is created through a process involving male plugs, female tools, and composite material.

In-depth involvement in design process and varied projects at a startup

- Actively engaged in entire design process from start to end, unlike traditional roles

- Currently focusing on designing manufacturable and ergonomic throttle for new prototype

Working on multiple projects simultaneously

- Ergonomics project focusing on design and user experience

- Challenges in designing a custom cooling system for the motor

Smaller watercrafts have a larger market than assumed

- Recreational boats market spends more than the passenger ferry market

- People buy recreational boats for fun and to showcase wealth, not due to price sensitivity

- The Bay Area has limited recreational boating, while Miami and Fort Lauderdale have significant investment in water activities

Overview of the global cargo shipping industry

- The three main types of ships in the industry: big ships moving oil and petroleum products, ships moving bulk items like iron or coal, and container ships which are most relevant for everyday items.

- Container shipping accounts for about a third of total spending on Ocean Freight, with ships traveling at approximately 20 knots and taking 7 to 10 days to cross from Shanghai to Los Angeles.

Start with smaller product for startups to build quickly and iterate on

- Focus on smaller products to build awareness and develop the technology quickly

- Target to reach 2,000 units a year with personal watercraft over 5 years

Transitioning to carbon vinylester composite for cost savings and material properties

- The production will start with infused Hull and Deck in a high-end custom boat builder facility

- Transition to a lower cost facility once production systems are dialed in

Reimagining water transport with electric boats and battery safety

- Using off-the-shelf motors for propulsion in electric boats, not reinventing the wheel

- Lithium battery safety in electric boats, lower potential for combustion compared to gas boats

Design for manufacturing is essential in the water transport industry.

- Designing components without considering manufacturing limitations can lead to impractical designs.

- Starting with simple measurements and constraints helps to ensure practical and feasible designs.

Challenges in integrating radiator for water transport design

- Discussing the complexities of fitting the radiator within the motor assembly and the need for bracketing

- Emphasizing the iterative process from concept, design, testing, and potential reiterations for improvement

Hydrofoiling generally scales well with boats getting larger in size or weight.

- Hydrofoiling generally scales well, with limitations due to material strength and size constraints.

- Today's technology allows for hydrofoil boats of around 100 feet in size, which is very feasible.

Boat and hydrofoil safety and operation

- General boat safety requires awareness and training for the operator.

- Hydrofoil operation requires awareness of smoothness and wave conditions to ensure safety.

Factors driving the evolution of water transport technology

- Advancements in computer technology enabling lowcost vehicles with active flight control and sensors

- Development and mainstream adoption of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and synergy with electrification for environmental consciousness

Mobility and transportation industry accelerating innovation

- Transportation industry has drastically changed over the last 100-150 years with various modes of transport evolving.

- Future of mobility will focus on addressing challenges of increasing car usage in cities built 100 years ago.

The future of water transport is about multimodal transportation and intelligent routing

- Use of waterways to unchoke roadway infrastructure and promote efficient urban centers

- Integration of various transportation modes with apps to provide seamless and convenient travel experiences

Reimagining water transport for increased convenience and utility

- Water taxis can become more widely applicable and convenient by having multiple landing pads and increased frequency of runs

- Reimagining transportation as a small distributed way of moving things and people, as opposed to the traditional big, slow, and expensive options like oceangoing ships and airlines

Increased efficiency and flexibility of water transport

- Smaller ships enabling point-to-point travel for passengers and goods, reducing need for hub-and-spoke model

- Innovative technology decreasing capital expenditure, while maintaining comfort and energy efficiency

Value of specialized skills in large companies

- Large companies prioritize hiring individuals who are really good at one specific thing

- Startups prefer individuals who can multitask and excel in various areas

Importance of practical experience in learning

- Practical experience teaches unexpected skills and equipment usage

- Emphasizes the value of hands-on learning in engineering and testing processes

Key factors that define a startup and a successful company

- Startups grow faster and require venture backing

- Success of a company depends on product importance and founders' ability to build it themselves

Role of Founders in Growing Companies

- Founders bring ownership, authority, and deep understanding of the company's DNA leading to critical decision-making during challenging times.

- Founders transition from hardcore product building to overseeing the company's growth and maintaining its essence.

Hands-on experience is key in education and startups

- Practical experience is lacking in education, going beyond theoretical knowledge.

- Building projects and gaining hands-on experience gives an edge in startup culture.

Importance of documenting projects for credibility

- Documenting projects adds to credibility and shows practical implementation of knowledge.

- Documenting well showcases the effort, iterations, and time put into the project, often overlooked by others.

Importance of understanding tech and having a valuable product

- Key to have the right team who comprehends the technology and assesses its viability

- Early focus on commercial aspects and financial modeling critical for success

Rationality with numbers is crucial for business success

- Engineers use technology and numbers to solve problems, emphasizing the importance of numbers in business decisions.

- Startups receive huge sums of money to create new technologies, which progresses humanity at a faster rate than government research institutions.