A GPS-based real-time avalanche path warning and navigation system

Abstract

Frequent avalanche activity and poor route visibility due to bad weather make snow bound mountainous regions quite unsafe for travel during the winter months. Hence, there is a need for an accurate navigation device that can help in the safe movement of mountain travellers in avalanche prone areas. This paper presents the design and implementation of a portable GPS-based warning and navigation system, capable of providing safe navigation to mountain travellers in avalanche-prone regions. The system uses a hand-held GPS with a positional accuracy of 2-5 m. A customized application has been developed for the visualization of maps, navigation, positioning, tracking and issuing avalanche path warning. On the basis of registered avalanche path data, this application updates the traveller at predefined time intervals on whether the current position of the traveller is inside or outside an avalanche path. When the traveller enters an avalanche prone area, a warning in the form of text and voice messages is generated by the device. For the testing and accuracy analysis of this application, a part of the Manali-Dhundi highway was designated as the study area. In numerous track tests, the system has demonstrated a high level of accuracy and a repetition in locating registered avalanche sites in open slopes/bare lands but accuracy deteriorated in narrow valley/forested areas. An analysis of the trial results shows that the system can help travellers in snowbound mountain regions as a warning and navigation tool, using accurately registered avalanche sites and an appropriate buffer size around these sites.

What about people in pedestrian navigation?

“…Outdoor/indoor positioning technology is a key approach to sensing a pedestrian's location, which helps pedestrian navigation systems preload surrounding maps of pedestrians and guide turns along the planned routing step-bystep, even in emergencies (63). Much literature has focused on outdoor/indoor positioning technologies.…”