Taaroa, a serious French brand, has been present on the hydrofoil market for nearly 10 years.
They hey will soon launch the iUP foil: iUp - iUp Page | TAAROA powered by artificial intelligence. See also Redirecting... where they say: “designed to be cost effective as we use off the shelf electronics. Pricing will be announced when we officially launch”
With the actuated rod moving in the mast, not sure whether there is enough room left for three phase wires + a cooling PU tube
THE FIRST UNIVERSAL HYDROFOIL POWERED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The iUP foil is designed to reduce the learning curve of foiling to zero, while increasing safety, power and control.
Its onboard computer, control software, embedded sensors and wing flaps enable an active control of the balance of the foil and height above water.
Therefore, it creates a smooth and easy navigation - even for first-time users - that riders can customize through a smartphone App.
If that moving flap works it is really cool invention, however if you know hot to foil, keeping the height above water is very easy and kind of what the sport makes interesting…I don´t really need an “Auto Pilot” for doing the job, which is actually the passion on this sport!
I think that’s exactly what those who were against automatic transmissions said about cars in the 1960s… Then more and more 1st timers try the system, adopt it and can’t live without it…
Maybe the truth is in between: above a preset speed, 15kmh say, the system fades away…
Beyond this for/against position, for @seamoty and his foil motor bike where the rider’s CG cannot move due to his/her sitting position, this system not only compensates the plane center of lift moving back as lift increases but with a joystick, you don’t need to shift your weight left or right to turn, you need a flap up and the other down for applications that need a foil but where riders cannot move their weight (Moths, Dinghies, …)
No, what you might be able to compare it to is traction control…
For a novice, it helps out.
For someone with skills they will almost always turn if off so that the car is more responsive…
I see the exact same thing with the foils… Sure an automated foil has a place, but its also just something extra to go wrong or break. For those that can already foil its an unnecessary extra…
Time will tell. This system being self-learning, I would see an interest at high speed (an area not yet explored in efoil) where the “Fly by wire” delays the fall and avoids you to buy a new set of cervical vertebrae …
Comparing that to traction control is funny …
Without traction control, there is often a moment of shock that often overwhelms beginners. With traction control or gyro on the foil, you are definitely faster.
I already had some thoughts about it, especially since it can be implemented quickly. Gyros from the RC Heli are inexpensive and reliable, plus a couple of waterproof servos and you could laminate them with the next wing;)
Optimum height at the moment I presume. For pitch control on an efoil and the anti-fall system, we could imagine a system like a “Segway” on the road that speeds up or slows down the prop faster than the hips (CoG) displacement of the rider…
FlyoFoils from Poland have chosen to actuate the stabiliser to control height and pitch:
Taaroa iUP insight: ultrasonic height sensor, pressure sensors to calculate depth, front wing with independent-actuated flaps to control pitch AND roll iUP by TAAROA. Fits any board. Onboard computer for tailored assistance and enhanced performance. Automated flaps to control pitch and roll. Easier, safer, enhanced foiling experience. Pre-orders start on 06.30.2020
It’s going to be very funny when people foil in choppy water… Is the foil going to become bouncy by trying to compensate because of the pressure and height changes, or if they filter it out, then in flatter water the automation will be slower and dulled down… Either way, I think most will stick to the simplicity of a std foil and this will slowly die off…
Taaroa have a partnership with the EPFL from Lausanne. These guys have been studying actuated flaps for the last 10 years (Phd Thesis, many Moths-like projects and so on). I doubt they have missed the AI sea-chop processing as Moths mechanical magic wand can process chop very well
Will that be useful ? Pre-orders start end of June and it should not be cheap. Let’s wait and see if people want to pay for that type of comfort
I wonder what these guys do with AI here. It just requires couple of sensors - Ultrasonic height, MEMS gyroscope, couple of servos from RC cars, and PID controller. The response from height sensor should be greatly filtered to avoid reaction on waves.
The biggest advantage of this system - you can keep the wing at bigger depth, further from surface. This will increase lift while reducing drag - so you will be faster. Controlling this manually is a problem.
But what is bad in iUP - flaps. They introduce parasitic drag, which should be avoided. So fully turning wings would be more effective.
Seems like there was a second launch late 2021. We don’t know if it works but in this video we can see a few technical details:
With full flaps down, you can take off as early as you would with a 1,800 cm2 wing.
As you gain speed, the flaps retract to provide a similar performance and speed as
a 1,000 cm2 wing. They also enable automated control of the foil's pitch & roll.
It’s been used with Moth boats already, when the flap is down, the lift nearly doubles. This ensures the take-off peak current will stay low and that ESC max current and price could be roughly divided by two.
The system autonomy is announced at 180min.
Information found on the first link of the thread, the first point explains the roll control.
[NO “FLIPPING OVER”]
The iUP is designed with safety in mind. When you fall, the Autopilot compensates in order to make sure the board does not flip over, minimizing the risk of getting hurt by the foil.
[HEIGHT CONTROL]
Thanks to the fusion of different sensors, the Autopilot calculates the height above water and can lock it in, once you activate specific navigation modes. It gives a better control of the foil and an enhanced flying experience.
[VARIOUS NAVIGATION MODES]
We develop the iUP’s multiple navigation modes to support beginners, as well as enhance the performance of more experienced riders. You can change modes and download new ones using our smartphone App.
[GPS TRACKING]
We have embedded a GPS so you can review your rides after the navigation, and share it with the community.
[FLAP ADJUSTEMENT MODE]
You can use the App to set up and lock the flaps of the iUP at a specific position before your ride, changing the front wing’s geometry depending on the conditions and using the iUP as a classic foil with multiple wings.
Then more and more 1st timers try the system, adopt it and can’t live without it… 
