Boating

While hydrofoils lift out of the water thanks to an underwater fin, hydroplanes zoom along by riding directly on the surface of the water. A slick carbon-fiber scale model from startup CovaConcepts shows off the latter concept in a fun new video.

Just last month we trawled the internet for updates to our coverage of the Dynafin propulsion concept from marine giant ABB. Now the technology has been independently tested, which also gives us our first look at the actual system.

Gori folding propellers collapse to cut drag when under sail, then open up the instant the motor drive kicks on. The new tri-blade Gori Hybrid Propeller adds a third option, keeping the propeller open while sailing for energy regeneration.

Swiss marine giant ABB has spent more than a decade developing a radically different Voith-Schneider take on a marine propeller. The Dynafin system promises up to 85% efficiency, while giving a vessel super-precise maneuvering capabilities.

Quite similar to the ePropulsion eLite but bigger and more powerful, the RemigoOne is a hassle-free portable electric outboard built for fast, easy transport to and from the water. The push-button e-drive recently made the trip over to the US market.

Dog poop bags for humans – that's the experience of the Wrappon Sunny toilet. Compared to other methods used when pooping in the unplumbed wilds, this is a breeze: An electric toilet that automatically, securely bags things up for you to bin later.

Honda recently expanded its outboard family around its first-ever production V8. Now, the company is sliding some of the shinier new tech down from the V8 to its V6 and L4 motors, adding handy drive-by-wire tech and boosted efficiency.

The company behind the one-time fastest electric motor tech on water, Vision Marine has no plans to slow down. It's now pushing its electric outboard technology toward the bow, with the E-Motion 180e inboard system to expand its reach.

Sharrow Marine has been working to disrupt the marine industry with a reimagined propeller it calls the "future of propulsion." That future should come a little faster with the launch of the new MX-A, a more affordable, small outboard-friendly prop.

Earlier this month, we featured a Whale Design propeller that looked to nature for improved efficiency. Switzerland's ABB Marine has also been inspired by "the dynamic motions of a whale's tail" for its multi-blade Dynafin propulsion concept.

Sharrow's extraordinary looped propellers were already some 30% more efficient than traditional designs – and now the company has put two of them together into a coaxial, contra-rotating prop that promises to be even more energy-efficient.

Vision Marine, the company behind the world's most powerful electric outboard, has launched the Phantom, a rotomolded plastic boat that's tough enough to last a generation and ready to be recycled at lifecycle's end.