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Energy & Utilities · head to head

ABB Ability vs Sea Machines

ABB Ability logo

ABB Ability

Energy & Utilities

Digital solutions for energy and automation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sea Machines logo

Sea Machines

Maritime & Shipping

Autonomous vessel control systems

From
$50000/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ABB Ability the Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.; Sea Machines requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • They diverge on capability: ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Sea Machines covers Autonomous control.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABB Ability and Sea Machines actually diverge.

Attributes where ABB Ability and Sea Machines differ
AttributeABB AbilitySea Machines
Starting priceOn request$50000/one-time
Pricing modelquoteone-time
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiEmbedded, Web, Mobile
CategoryEnergy & UtilitiesMaritime & Shipping
Founded19882015

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ABB Ability

  • Asset health monitoring
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Performance optimization
  • Energy management
  • Grid automation
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Advanced analytics
  • Digital twin technology

Only in Sea Machines

  • Autonomous control
  • Remote operation
  • Collision avoidance
  • Pattern following
  • Vessel systems
  • Communication networks
  • Shore-based control
  • Embedded support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABB Ability

  • Asset performance managementnot Sea Machines
  • Predictive maintenancenot Sea Machines
  • Grid optimizationnot Sea Machines
  • Energy efficiencynot Sea Machines

Sea Machines

  • Intelligent voyage and transit autonomy for workboatsnot ABB Ability
  • Pattern autonomy for survey and repetitive route worknot ABB Ability
  • Collision avoidance using the AI-ris computer vision sensornot ABB Ability
  • Remote command and control of vessels, including in GPS denied environmentsnot ABB Ability
  • Fleet management and telemetry through Fleetviewer and the SMLINK APIsnot ABB Ability

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABB Ability

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ABB Ability's page on 19 December 2021 showed it is sold only through a 'Find Your Sales Partner' channel across industry verticals (Automotive, Buildings, Data Centers, EV Charging, Manufacturing, Mining, Oil & Gas, Power, and others), with no price list published.

Sea Machines

  • Requires hardware fitted to the vessel; the autonomy systems are retrofits or new build installations rather than a software purchase
  • Targeted at vessels from 10 to 300 ft, so it does not address the largest commercial tonnage
  • Pricing is not published and is arranged directly with the vendor
  • The SM300-NG is the class-approved unit, so the cheaper SM300-SP does not carry the same approval

Pricing, plan by plan

ABB Ability

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the ABB Ability review.

Sea Machines

$50000/one-time
  • SM300$75000/one-time
    • Autonomous control
    • Collision avoidance
    • Remote operation

Which should you pick?

Choose ABB Ability if

  • You need asset health monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want predictive maintenance.
ABB Ability review

Choose Sea Machines if

  • You need autonomous control.
  • You work on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want remote operation.
Sea Machines review

Questions people ask

Is ABB Ability or Sea Machines better?
Neither clearly leads. ABB Ability starts at On request and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABB Ability or Sea Machines?
ABB Ability starts at On request and Sea Machines at $50000/one-time.
Does ABB Ability or Sea Machines run on more platforms?
ABB Ability runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Sea Machines runs on Embedded, Web, Mobile.
What is ABB Ability best used for?
ABB Ability is most often used for asset performance management, predictive maintenance, grid optimization, energy efficiency. Of those, asset performance management and predictive maintenance are not what Sea Machines is typically brought in for.
What can ABB Ability do that Sea Machines cannot?
ABB Ability covers Asset health monitoring, Predictive maintenance, Performance optimization, Energy management. Sea Machines covers Autonomous control, Remote operation, Collision avoidance, Pattern following.
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