A retrofit kit that turns an ordinary 12 V electric trolling motor into a GPS “virtual anchor”. Save a point, and the kit steers and throttles your existing motor to keep the boat close to it — using as little battery as it can.
Simple idea: measure where the boat is and how it drifts, then push back just enough.
A steering head fits onto the shaft of an existing 12 V trolling motor. No new motor needed.
A small controller box reads a GNSS receiver and a compass to know where the boat is, where it points and how fast it drifts.
The controller turns the motor toward the saved point and sets the thrust. It stops the motor when the boat is close enough, to save battery.
If the GPS signal is lost, the motor stops and the boat simply drifts until the signal returns.
| Control firmware | Working on the bench — runs on an ESP32 microcontroller build, with an automated test suite. |
|---|---|
| Simulation | Done — tens of thousands of simulated runs of the unchanged control code against a boat model, across different currents, GPS errors and motor sizes. |
| Mechanical prototype | In redesign — strength checks showed parts that need to be stronger. |
| Water trials | Next step — looking for a test boat and a pilot day. |
All performance numbers we share today come from simulation. We will publish water-test results when we have them.
Not yet. The control software has been tested in simulation and on the bench. Water trials with a prototype are the next milestone.
No. The kit is designed to fit an existing 12 V electric trolling motor. Exact motor compatibility will be listed after trials.
In simulation, typically within several metres, depending on current and GPS quality. Real-world accuracy will be measured in trials before we make any claim.
Holding position runs on the boat with classical control and filtering, and works offline. We use AI tools to design and test the system, and we are exploring AI for trip reports and setup help off the boat.
Sanal çapa kiti. Mevcut 12 V elektrikli tekne motorunu GPS’li “sanal çapaya” çeviren bir kit geliştiriyoruz. Bir noktayı kaydedersiniz; kit motorunuzu çevirip itkisini ayarlayarak tekneyi o noktanın yakınında tutar ve aküyü olabildiğince az harcar. Demir atmanın zor ya da zararlı olduğu taşlık, resif ve batık üstlerinde işe yarar.
Motor şaftına takılan bir döndürme kafası ve küçük bir kontrol kutusu (GNSS alıcısı, pusula, motor sürücü). Kutu, teknenin nerede olduğunu ve ne kadar sürüklendiğini ölçer; motoru noktaya doğru çevirir. GPS kesilirse motor durur.
Prototip aşaması. Kontrol yazılımı masada ve simülasyonda çalışıyor; mekanik prototip güçlendiriliyor; suda deneme sıradaki adım. Bugün paylaştığımız her performans sayısı simülasyondandır.
E-mail / E-posta: omer.kagan@barinemarine.com.tr
Interested in a pilot day with your boat? Write to us. · Tekneniz ile bir deneme günü için yazın.