Every year, backcountry skiers and hikers suffer serious injury or death from avalanches. Many of these incidents could be avoided if the individuals had accurate, timely information about current conditions and risks.

Now the Stabilitron, a software tool for mobile devices, brings expert-level avalanche decision support to researchers and recreational users. It features remote retrieval of regional forecast data displayed in the standard, easily understood “Avalanche Rose” format, and computation of decision procedures based on user input of multiple risk factors.

Convenient & Accurate
With the introduction of the Stabilitron, computational decision support is available in avalanche-prone backcountry areas. The tool integrates remote data retrieval over the internet with the standalone functionality of a handheld in areas without cellular or wireless coverage.

Installed on a mobile device such as an iPhone, BlackBerry, or other smartphone, the Stabilitron can be easily carried into remote locations for convenient data access at any time.

Optimized for Mobile Devices
The Stabilitron provides recreational and professional users with the data needed to assess avalanche danger levels and avoid excessive risk.

The software and hardware also work together to offer a user-friendly interface, automated decision procedures, and measurement of slope angles through the mobile devices’ built-in accelerometers.

Leverages Data Standards
A proposed XML standard provides low-bandwidth transmission, retrieval, and graphical output of danger ratings. In addition, a JSON standard encodes the decision trees into text documents for retrieval from any web server.

File Number: 367 

Web site: http://www.uvminnovations.com/instrumentation.html

Other Information:

Commercialization
A Stabilitron proof-of-concept demo is available as a web application. (Link provided in invention description PDF.)

Commercial versions could be distributed as downloadable software through online channels such as the iPhone App Store and BlackBerry App World.