Better Rescue Through Sensors

Sensors can provide new and valuable information beyond the human senses: surgeons are provided with vital sign data without attention shift, firefighters may see through smoke, etc. This paper investigates how wearable sensing technology can be applied to alpine avalanche rescue. Sensors worn by mountaineers reveal information about vital functions of the victims in an emergency case. In particular the rescue of multiple victims might benefit enormously from the use of wearable sensors. As time is the most critical issue in rescue, we belief that based on those sensor information rescuers obtain the necessary information in order to focus on victims which are still alive rather than to waste valuable time to dig out victims which are already dead. Our vision is to supply rescuers with a tool, that provides awareness about urgency and chances of success of individual victims in order to achieve recovery of as many victims as possible.