Video of tuned beta unit on the water Nov 10, 2022

We have (better) lift off!

Recent iterations of the lower hull and skirt design have yielded a stable and smooth segmented skirt system and lower hull profile. This skirt type will provide more value to our customers by allowing the Arosa to function better on uneven surfaces and choppy water. Additionally, we have tested this skirt on a larger lift area so that we could get an early understanding of how the larger size of the Olten search and rescue version would handle. (The lift area will be resized to the smaller footprint on the production Arosa.) Furthermore, the lift fan has been tuned to higher rpm for improved airflow performance. 

Piloting the Arosa beta unit on water with full control on Nov 10, 2022

Video of land to water takeoff Nov 16, 2022

All primary systems are now tuned! 

Production refinement has begun. This means that all of the primary systems as-built in the beta system are meeting at least their minimum functional requirements. However, this does not mean all of the total performance goals have been met (like top speed). The process of tuning the beta Arosa showed the team what is ready for production and what areas need further refinement. Each system has a key specification that must be met to qualify the system ready for production.

Thumbs up to the beta unit systems

Trust the process

Product development is an iterative process. As VonMercier brings the Arosa closer to the final product, our team must continue to listen to the needs of our customers and keep our eyes and minds open to discoveries of value along the way. By doing this we have made bold choices like going all-electric instead of hybrid, changing the skirt type during beta, testing a lift area suitable for a search & rescue craft, and adding a perimeter swim deck. Thinking and acting in this way is not easy, as it takes calculated risk and stepping into the unknown; yet, the discoveries that are made can be game changing! 

All of the lessons and adjustments from tuning will converge into a ready-to-ship design that meets the aesthetic and functional goals of the Arosa EV Hovercraft product.

You can read more about the design thinking process that VonMercier follows from these and other sources:
https://uxplanet.org/quick-steps-through-the-double-diamond-cf2e00b22ba7
https://www.productboard.com/blog/double-diamond-framework-product-management/

More moments from the last few weeks of testing:

Founder Michael Mercier enjoying the functionality of the rear swim deck

The tuned Arosa beta unit is safe and easy to hover out to deep waters and back to shore

The passenger cabin stays dry even with water spray around the skirt

With an Arosa EV hovercraft you don't need a bridge to drive across the water!