The new Garmin Nautix-In-View display, mounts on your sunglasses and provides quick access to important data from your chartplotter.
The “Feather Weight” Nautix-In-View display is “Google Glass” for marine devices. It is a tiny screen that communicates wireless with your compatible chartplotter. So far compatible chart plotters are the Garmin GPSMAP 7400/7600/8400/8600 series
The devices is reasonably light weight (29.7g) but Garmin calls that Featherweight – I would hate to see that bird…. as a Peacock tail feather weighs in at around 0.75 – 1 1/2 grams. So it weighs the same as 20-30 peacock feathers.
Google Glass was 36 grams in comparison. My old-man cheap reading glasses weigh in at 18 grams and my lovely light weight Maui Jim sunglasses weigh in at 18 grams as well. So adding almost 30 gram to your sunglasses are not a little – it is a LOT.
But weight aside – as a situation awareness devices that promotes proper look out – I think it is a great device. I would love to have a tiny map projected up – but display resolution is only 428 x 240 pixels which is less than Google Glass’s 640 x 360 resolution.
Battery life is claimed to be around 8 hours – and the Garmin Nautix-In-View be mounted to either side of your sunglasses. Garmin calls that an “ambidextrous” mount. Which means works equally well on both sides.
The devices is controlled from a Touch Pad on the side. Garmin says it works well with and without gloves and in the wet.
So what data can you see? Well you can’t see any data that your supported chartplotter won’t see. But if it is available on your chart plotter – you can view speed, heading, water depth & temperature, wind direction and engine RPM’s. Sailors can view racing data incl countdown timer, time to burn and start line information. For navigation you can have distance and bearing to next waypoint.
The Garmin Nautix-In-View communicates to the world around via ANT+ (Which is Garmin’s “own” proprietary “Open” standard it bought through acquisition of Dynastream Innovations).
ANT+ is as “Open” as NMEA $2000 as in it cost a buck and a half to become members and even more to deliver certified products. ANT+ is an ultra low power wireless transmission standard that competes with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).
I do wish Standard bodies would stop calling things for “Open” when they are only “Open” against payment of a lot of fee’s. That is not Open in my book.
Anyway (rant over) – The Garmin Nautix-In-View is a “brother” to the new Garmin Varia Vision cycling display. Garmin develops the same hardware for different markets and gives them different names. So different software – same hardware.
Below is a Video from DC Rainmaker who shows off the different screens on the Garmin Varia Vision. It can give you an indication on what Nautix-In-View will look like in real life. If you are into Fitness devices – DC Rainmaker is “The Blog” to follow.
The Garmin Nautix-In-View should be available in April 2016 for about $400 in the USA. For more information : Garmin
