Some people think "the hobby is dead," but thanks to modern LCD, CGI and video game engine technology, you can make ships, boats and even marine animals move on the water feature of your layout. A recent local train show (The Great Train Show in Ventura, CA) had a demo booth by a Westlake Village, CA-based company called Cubed 6 (cubed6.com) feature their patented "SEA-BOTS" automated operating watercraft and visual ocean effects system. Basically a software program generates CGI waves, and you plot out a route for a boat or ship. A moving image follows that route and a sensor in a wheeled transport device tracks that route. Your scale model watercraft rides over this transport device, with less than a millimeter of space underneath the bottom of the boat, and it looks like your boat is moving on the sea, with the appropriate wake generated behind it. Any LCD TV or video monitor can be used for the "ocean". Check out how it works: I can see lots of potential for this type of technology in the future - Instead of a static painted backdrop, a similar video screen can display not only a sky and animated clouds, but a mountain range, a city skyline or other background image. And the image can display the changing position of the sun, appropriate shadows and even simulated nighttime and weather. Imagine synchronizing that with your operations fast clock and layout lighting controls!
That is quite impressive. Can't wait to get more information on it. Metro, you are onto something about where this may go in the future. Glenn
