The outrigger: a prehistoric feedback mechanism

The history of the outrigger, an ancient Polynesian device with a feedback mechanism, is chronicled in the paper with particular focus on its basic roll stability and the outrigger loop. The action of an outrigger is two-fold. First, the outrigger adds buoyancy to the vessel since the outriggers are made of materials that float irrespective of their shapes. More importantly, the addition of a float at the end of a boom dramatically increases the roll stability of small canoes.