“About one-third of Americans suffer from motion sickness, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Additionally, when you’re subjected to any kind of extreme motion, even the toughest among you may feel dizzy, queasy, or worse. A serial entrepreneur and avid boater has partnered with Shuttleworth Design to combat this.”
“Mankind has had boats for thousands of years and for thousands of years, people have gotten seasick. That could change, thanks to a really strange looking contraption that's been seen on San Francisco Bay.”
— Robot Boat Turns Heads on San Francisco Bay by Jonathan Bloom
“Where most people would just see four Firestone truck airbags, designer and Velodyne CEO David Hall saw a way to stabilize boats in choppy waves. To build a self-stabilizing boat called “Martini 1.5,” Hall hacked the airbags to create an elaborate suspension that keeps the deck stable. The airbags act as actuators in a pneumatic system to allow for shifts in the amount of weight on top of the deck, and also as housing for a set of 4 DC servo-motors that stabilize the deck in response to motion from the waves below..”
— Inventor Rigs an Unprecedentedly Smooth Ride for Power Boats by Andrew Rosenblum
“We were cruising through the Bay on Velodyne’s Martini 1.5, the second version of a new kind of boat: one with an active suspension to make going over waves feel like, well, nothing. It’s a breakthrough that could make ocean search and rescue missions, where speed is crucial, safer. It could appeal to luxury yacht owners and commercial fisherman. And it makes chasing ferries a lot more fun.”
“The Velodyne concept is the brainchild of David Hall, a prolific inventor who, before getting involved in the marine industry, created audio systems and worked on robotics and computers, as well as servos, optics, and lasers. He is widely known as the man behind the Light Detecting and Ranging (LIDAR) 3-D mapping system that allows the famous un-manned Google cars to drive about without human interaction.”
— Off the Beaten Boat Show Path by Tony Bessinger
“On a test run Thursday in stormy Government Cut, the Martini 1.5, powered by twin E-Tec 150-horsepower outboards, glided over tug and pilot boat wakes at 25 mph and yawed only slightly without decreasing speed in a messy, four-foot chop outside the jetties.”
— Miami Boat Show has Gadgets Galore by Susan Cocking
“I had been invited to go for a ride on the Velodyne Marine experimental vessel the Martini 1.5, but the steady down pour quashed my hopes. I'm intrigued with the active suspension system technology that keeps the deck stable regardless of the sea conditions. No pitch or roll on this deck. Drat it, I really wanted to go for a ride, and explore this unique technology. I will try to find another opportunity soon.”
— Miami Boat Show 2013 Roundup by Bill Bishop
“A concept craft designed to smooth the ride while underway through any kind of seas. This vessel is designed to provide a perfectly stable and level ride no matter what the conditions, even in seas up to 5 feet. Riding along at 30 plus knots out of Miami’s Government Cut inlet, this new technology proved to be able to do just that.”
— Velodyne’s Martini 1.5 by Aqua Lifestyle
“For most exhibitors, the Miami International Boat Show offers a venue to showcase their most beautiful and fantastic new products to avid boat lovers from around the world. However, Dave Hall of Silicon Valley’s Velodyne Marine came with a different goal in mind when he brought his shock-mitigating “Martini 1.5” to Miami. While the engineer calls his computer-automated, electric, pneumatic invention “ground breaking,” it is really “ground stabilizing” and tongue-in-cheek, perfect for people who don’t want to spill their martinis.”
— Velodyne Marine by Marilyn DeMartini
“The Velodyne Martini 1.5 was the wackiest, and most technically impressive, thing I saw at this year’s Miami International Boat Show. In a nutshell, the Martini 1.5—so-named because it will keep your drink from sloshing—is a pontoon boat with active suspension.”
— Velodyne Martini 1.5: Active Suspension, on a Boat? by Charles Plueddeman
“File this one under unique: the Velodyne Martini was introduced at the Miami Boat Show, and while it may not be the most practical looking design in the world, in many ways, it was the most interesting boat in town. This is a catamaran with an elevated deck, as you can see in the picture. But what makes it really unusual is the arms that support that deck over the hull - they move. And they move a lot.”
— Velodyne Martini: The Fishing Boat of the Future? by Lenny Rudow
“Boat owners, builders, and members of the media are welcome to experience Martini 1.5’s new stabilization system that will revolutionize the marine industry.”
“With hundreds of boats at the Miami International Boat Show, it’s easy to forget the show has gadgets and gizmos galore for those interested in marine electronics, propulsion and accessories.”
— Miami Boat Show Also Features Gadgets, Gizmos by CBS Miami