Shocking Skiers Into Safety

Shock collars quickly gained popularity among dog owners that wanted to allow their dogs to roam outdoors, but control their perimeter. Now, imagine if that concept were applied to backcountry skier? A wearable piece of technology that didn't shock, but vibrated, and alerted the user  when they were extending beyond the 'perimeter' of safety, into more dangerous avalanche terrain?

Well, we may not have to image that as a concept. Sabine Prezenski, a researcher and lecturer at the Technical University of Berlin, is en route to field test a wearable warning system that would beep, vibrate, or buzz based on a combination of real-time user data submitted by other local backcountry enthusiasts, drone carried instruments, and readings from fixed radar and infrasound monitors.



Prezenski says that the tech is aimed at a younger age group, and while it does not replace good avalanche education and training, it could help prevent some of the accidents associated with the increasing backcountry use with beginners.

Read more about it here:
Shock Collar in Danger Zones