Digital boat monitoring system to make public debut at bass tournament
By IBI Magazine/Michael Verdon
One of the major bass-fishing tournaments will serve as the public launchpad of a new digital monitoring system, according to its manufacturer. Remote Knowledge plans to publicly unveil its new LEO remote tracking system on 12 boats in the finals of the Forrest L. Wood Championship in the FLW Outdoors series. LEO, according to a release, "relies upon a combination of Sprint, Iridium and GPS technologies to provide instant tracking and reporting functions no matter where a boat is located anywhere on earth." In previous Wal-Mart FLW Tour events this year, LEO provided tournament support data and communications functions for FLW Outdoors officials and FSN (Fox Sports Net) production crews. It will be made public to millions of fans for the first time on FLWOutdoors.com during the July 16 demonstration in Hot Springs. During the tournament, the weight of each finalist's bass will be entered into a handheld keypad linked to a shoebox-sized transmitter. This data will then be uploaded by cell or low-earth orbit satellite automatically to FLWOutdoors.com, where fishing fans can log in to see the exact location and track of their favorite angler as they compete on Lake Hamilton in Arkansas. The number of fish and estimated weight will also be posted in real time. "With Remote Knowledge's live-data solution installed on our specially equipped Ranger Comanche boats, we will deliver a more fulfilling and exciting fan experience than ever before," said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors in a statement. Remote Knowledge's Randy Bayne said, "In much the same way that golf tournaments use leaderboards, now Wal-Mart FLW Tour events can relay live results directly from professional anglers miles away to spectators and television crews." But for more general marine applications, Bayne said that LEO can remotely monitor and control a wide range of vessel functions, including bilge pumps, shore power, intrusion detection and unauthorized movement. "If trouble occurs, an owner can be notified directly via e-mail, text message and cell phone or through a manned Central Call Center," Bayne said. "Our goal in the marine industry is to establish our solutions to deliver the next-generation digital boat."
(14 July 2005)
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