PARSIVAL

Promptness intervention in avalanche rescue operations is paramount to success in recovering buried victims. The probability of finding a person still alive reaches 90% in the first 15 minutes after burial [1]. Therefore, providing effective tools and practices for mountaineers and rescuers is essential.

The PARSIVAL project aims to develop a small-sized and lightweight (< 1 kg) drone that can be easily carried in a backpack. It will fly in autonomous way driven by a machine learning algorithm based on the information provided by optical sensors and a miniaturized ARTVA device (avalanche search device). The drone will automatically locate any buried victim and inform a rescue station about the development in the location of the victim(s). In case of a failed mission, the system will activate a protocol of multiple equipped drones (optical, thermal, cellular) that fly simultaneously (swarm).

The purpose of the project is to increase safety in the mountains by reducing the time to search for a avalanche-buried victim and to increase the effectiveness of the rescue by reducing the stress and physical exertion of the companion.

[1] Procter E, Strapazzon G, Dal Cappello T, Zweifel B, Würtele A, Renner A, Falk M, Brugger H. Burial duration, depth and air pocket explain avalanche survival patterns in Austria and Switzerland. Resuscitation. 2016.