The International Superyacht Society announced its annual awards in Fort Lauderdale, with the 2017 Excellence in Innovation Award going to Kymeta and e3 Systems.
Kymeta makes flat-panel antennas that can replace the large and often bulky-looking rounded domes that are affixed atop superyachts for satellite and other communications needs. E3 Systems is Kymeta’s partner for distributing the technology in the superyacht sector.
Kymeta has spent the past four years working on its flat-panel technology for yachts. The firm did market research in 2014, had a prototype on display in 2015, did a land-based demonstration in 2016 and brought proof of concept from multiple yachts to the 2017 Monaco Yacht Show, following several months of sea trials.
“We trialed multiple terminal configurations, ranging from single-panel solutions to multiple-panel solutions,” e3 Managing Director Roger Horner stated in a press release. “We experienced a few practical installation issues, many of which already have been addressed by Kymeta, and we also realized that the network systems on yachts need to be designed and configured to work in tandem with the improved throughput that Kymeta solutions provide. The flat-panel beam steering of the antenna and its performance has been fantastic, and we are pleased that the issues found and communicated are already being addressed. Identifying and solving issues is what sea trialing is all about.”
