Tag Archives: watercraft

Citroen Above & Under Concept transforms into a compact watercraft in disguise

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If we go by Citroen’s proactiveness for future concepts, there are only a few automotive manufacturers who better them in that respect. A lot of four-wheeler ideas for the upcoming decade focus on the lounging and relaxing experience, mostly attributed to the freedom of autonomous commuting.

This concept, however, unearths a completely different perspective focused on the duality of use. Be it on land or on water, the Citroen Above and Under concept touts to be an equally impressive vehicle.

Designer: Sangheon Chung

The deconstructive design blueprint of this futuristic concept is centered around the multifaceted approach of travel not limited by the ability of the vessel it’s being pursued on. The cockpit itself is divided into two separate sections called the seabreachers that behave as separate modules of a submersible. Yes, the car can turn into a sealed watercraft in a jiffy for the driver and the passenger to drive off into the water while the sun is setting.

The battery pack is in the middle of the car, separating these two modules’ functionality. The concept blueprint is designed in such a way that at first glance one would not presume it’s a two-seater watercraft waiting to be unleashed. Citroen Above and Under looks like any other track-only electric race car only until the two modules slide out of the back. The vertical seating configurations of this four-seater vehicle now become two separate watercraft.

How the vehicle will manage the external noise damping once reconfigured back into the vehicle mode is something to ponder over. Keeping all the components in place as the car rides the tarmac is going to be another challenge due to moving parts.

The post Citroen Above & Under Concept transforms into a compact watercraft in disguise first appeared on Yanko Design.

This reconfigurable superyacht is a comfortable and safe vessel for high sea adventures

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Future-forward yacht designs always entice us and this one was bound to be featured here. Envisioned by Andy Waugh Yacht Design, this watercraft spanning 80 meters in length is made for luxurious journeys on the high seas.

Dubbed Decadence, this vessel has a state-of-the-art “Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull” (SWATH) that sets it apart from any other real-life superyacht or catamaran. For that matter, considering it’s still just a concept design, this is still a very radical approach.

Designer: Andy Waugh

The inspiration for the SWATH vessel comes from the never-before-seen advances witnessed in the automotive and aeronautical industry back in the 1920s. The form of this superyacht is not limited to the visual parity courtesy of the UAP-like silhouette, rather it has a useful function too. According to Andy, the submerged cylindrical hulls fused to the main structure of the yacht with “stilts of minimal cross-section.”

This has undeniable advantages such as high tolerance for pitch and roll, making the vessel safe and comfortable for the occupants. If we are to take Andy’s word, Decadence reduces the pitch and roll by almost 70 percent as compared to a conventional monohull. Coming on to the layout, the yacht has a 30-meter beam and an interior configuration of 5,000 GT.

The hull opens fully to reconfigure the layout – a privilege only handful of watercraft can tout. One such option is to expand the master suite to almost 20 -meters in width, 30 meters in length and with a three-meter-high ceiling. This makes for one of the most luxe setups there could ever be living on the seas. Guests are also taken care of as the main hull is reserved for them while the crew can enjoy their stay in the sponsons or the outer hull that are equally swanky.

Setting up anchor for a stop with the Decandence is going to be a struggle for most situations given its humungous size. The maker wants to address this with 14-meter chase boat tenders to ferry the seafarers to the shores in luxury. What about the catamaran itself though? Well, the sturdy design means it can be parked out in the turbulent seas even in the most inclement weather.

The vessel is going to be powered by a radical new propulsion system that’ll bring down energy consumption by almost 30 percent. From the look of things, retractable inflatable sails can also be erected in headwinds to further increase fuel saving without compromising speed.

The post This reconfigurable superyacht is a comfortable and safe vessel for high sea adventures first appeared on Yanko Design.

This multilevel breeding yacht is a responsible leisure vessel for fish culture

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For decades now, a yacht is considered a symbol of wealth and the most lavish living on the seas. Only a few enjoy the luxury of owning such an exotic watercraft to enjoy intoxicating life on the waters. As we head into the future, these play toys of the rich and the famous will evolve into something that’ll be more of a private sanctuary for fish culture. After all, we are becoming more conscious than ever about the way we exist on the planet.

Not to forget the leisure and entertainment aspect, the swanky multifunctional breeding yacht powered by solar energy will come with its own underwater deck for exploration of the mesmerizing underwater life like never before on a yacht. The craft is specifically made for enjoying the sun and the surrounding landscape for its owners. This is possible with sweeping multilevel decks.

Designer: Yu Hancheng

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The bottom one is an expansive leisure area with open sitting spaces sheltered by the upper deck’s roof, as well, as open ones on the rear which brings one closer to nature than ever before. The deck above this one has multilevel seating like in a cathedral, and bang in the middle is a gorgeous transparent floor swimming pool which gives a clear view of the deck below. At an elevated position above this one is a small encircling deck for a bird’s eye view.

Most importantly, the section under the water level shows the other dimension of this vessel. Fish that are losing their breeding grounds and as a result declining in numbers will be cultured here to bring balance to the aquatic life. Species like Tuna, Salmon, large yellow croaker, or others will all be cultured below this yacht’s visible limits. Keeping in mind the deteriorating ocean life owing to human-induced climate change and water pollution, vessels like the multifunctional breeding yacht will be crucial in the future.

The post This multilevel breeding yacht is a responsible leisure vessel for fish culture first appeared on Yanko Design.

Supermarine MM01 Hyper Jet Ski looks like it was designed to fly instead

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There is a great deal of fuss over all-electric vehicles today, but most of those have been focused on vehicles with wheels rolling on land. Electric aircraft is still in the age of their infancy, and you barely even hear about aquatic modes of travel switching to more sustainable sources of power. There are, of course, attempts at designing electric boats and jet skis, but the upcoming Supermarine MM01 might be the most ambitious one of all, both in handsome looks and in luxurious price.

Designers: Germain and Léopold Bouvet

Jet skis aren’t exactly your typical mode of transportation over water. They’re good for crossing short distances, hopping from island to island, but they’re often associated more with sports and sometimes dangerous thrills where speed is the name of the game. It isn’t by accident, then, that this Supermarine MM01 by Bouvet Frères Marine is being branded as a hyper jet ski in line with hypercars on land.

The futuristic-looking aquatic vehicle will be powered by a 300hp electric motor generating 220kw of power. In theory, this would allow the jet ski to blast through waters at a top speed of 75 mph, and the company advertises an “autonomy” of 2 hours tops. It’s powered by electricity rather than fuel, of course, which almost makes it sound like a more sustainable option. But if you thought electric vehicles were more expensive than their gasoline-chugging counterparts, then the Supermarine MM01 easily outclasses those by a nautical mile.

This “hyper jet ski” is ultimately a luxury vehicle if its appearance wasn’t already a dead giveaway. It’s a sporty vehicle, as its rip-roaring specs suggest, but it’s also described as a “lifestyle machine” designed with ergonomics and style in mind. Leather upholstered front trunk, a touch screen for navigation, and a carbon Kevlar monocoque frame all point to something that’s designed for more affluent customers. There’s even a dedicated champagne holder under the two-seater saddle if you still have any doubts.

Interestingly, the form of the Supermarine MM01 seems to take its cue not from luxury cars but futuristic hovercrafts. Although its speed hopefully won’t make you fly out of the water, the jet ski’s aerodynamic design is more similar to sci-fi flying vehicles than your typical water speedsters. And if you add wheels, it wouldn’t look out of place over land either. Coincidentally, its designers have earned their reputation building cars, which is why you can get some amphibious vibes from this electric jet ski.

Perhaps the biggest telltale sign of this vehicle’s luxury DNA is in the number of jet skis that the company will produce. Only 30 Supermarine MM01’s will be made, at least in its first run, split between white “Mother of Pearl” and black edition colors. The designers are well aware that these luxury machines will have a high asking price, but they aren’t as concerned about profitability as they are in creating something that symbolizes a passion for aesthetics and creative freedom.

The post Supermarine MM01 Hyper Jet Ski looks like it was designed to fly instead first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ultra-light carbon fiber sphere can fly, run on land and float on water!

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Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini has crafted a niche for futuristic designs under the Lazzarini Design Studio since 1982 – with most of the creations simply outlandish. The projects by Pierpaolo are mostly centered on the automotive and watercraft concept designs – centered on the future of comfy mobility. The latest blueprint for an amphibious vehicle that can fly is right up there with the best for its sheer design excellence. The Italian design studio calls it the Stratosfera – and it can move on water, land, as well as in air. According to the designer, there are submarine and snowcat variants of the vehicle also under development. I can already imagine getting on board and having a thrilling ride on this futuristic concept!

The vehicle is dubbed Stratosfera Aquatica in watercraft mode – having a spherical design measuring 1.65 meters in diameter – like a small pod for two people. The sphere is made out of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber material, and in the water mode, it has a very low center of gravity since the batteries are fitted inside the lower end of the extendable foil setup. This acts as a gyroscope to keep the sphere pod stable via the self-balancing system for a smooth ride en route to the destination. This ensures the tilting angle of the Stratosfera counters any abrupt movement for a comfort-laden ride for the passengers. The pod is powered by twin 150 hp electric jet engines – propelling it forward high above the water at speeds of 30 knots – and when the speed is slowed down the pod comes down on the surface of the water.

In the flight mode, the Stratosfera Volatile adapts the characteristics of a quadcopter, flying at speed of 250 km/h eVTOL or can be set up for solar-powered flying mode too. The good news is that the Jet Capsule company plans to launch Stratosfera as an open-source project by mid-2022. This will immensely help in futuristic mobility study as owners will be able to contribute to the development and designing upgrades of the watercraft.

Designer: Lazzarini Design Studio

Stratosfera Aquatica

Stratosfera Volatile





Nikola’s new zero-emissions vehicles include a jet ski and a dune buggy

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Nikola isn't messing around when it comes to its vision of a zero-emission future -- at this year's Nikola World event in Arizona the company unveiled no less than five clean vehicles, including the much-anticipated fully electric semi-trucks, Nikola...

Watercraft for One, Please

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We often think of watercraft as being for recreational use for large numbers of people but for some areas, the idea of personal watercraft is not only practical but necessary. These 3 concepts propose a new hybrid solution for getting from point A to point B via waterway. The first is focused on safety, with a canopy for sun and weather shielding. An on board lighting system makes it visible to larger vessels so it can move safely between large bodies of water and smaller channels. The second is focused on style and takes inspiration from vintage car designs. Its small size and hydrodynamics make it a functional choice for commuting while its cherry red metallic and wood combination make a head-turning statement. The third concept is an alternative to the second and takes inspiration from the aviation industry. In fact, it looks like it would be as at home in the sky as it is the water. This futuristic, single-propeller craft combines the best of functionality, style, comfort to make it an ideal touring vehicle. An enclosed glass cockpit keeps the driver safe from weather while providing panoramic views of the surrounding environment.

Designer: Arjun MM

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