Avatech—a technology company that designs mountain safety gear—is using social media to its advantage by creating the world’s first crowd-sourced platform for mountain safety information. The company has updated it’s existing SP2 smartprobe, which geo-tags essential data, including snowpack structure, slope angle and aspect. Users are able to upload the data in real time to the database or add it later. The mobile platform allows users to see red flag push notifications, in-field rapid observations (photo, video, audio), terrain analysis and route tracking metrics. By integrating mountain safety information and crowd-sourced mobile activity into its products, Avatech is embracing ever-changing technology in an effort to keep skiers and riders safe in the backcountry.
For more information, see the press release provided below.
Press Release:
Avatech, a technology company developing the first global, crowd-sourced platform for mountain safety information, announces its new products for Fall 2015, including an updated SP2 Smartprobe and significant expansion to the Avanet web platform, featuring Avanet Mobile. Snow professionals can pre-order from Avatech at https://www.avatech.com now.
“We had a very successful inaugural year working with dedicated snow professionals from around the world,” explains Thomas Laakso, brand president for Avatech. “Over 4000 snowpack observations were submitted from both our smart probe and real-time observation platform. We plan to build off this momentum and with the support of the professional community take the Avanet platform to the next level.”
The Avanet web platform is a geospatial network of mountain safety information that snow professionals use to manage and analyze snowpack data that can also be shared openly with professionals worldwide. New features for Avanet Pro include: additional real-time observation categories, advanced terrain visualization, route planning, red flag heat mapping and weak layering tracking analytics. These new updates allow for complete mobile integration with Avanet Mobile and include red flag push notifications, in-field rapid observations (photo, video, audio), terrain analysis and route tracking metrics. Additionally, professionals can rapidly upload their own manual snowpack observations via Avanet’s Snowpit Editor, which features geo-tagging, photo observation upload, drag-and-drop layer formation and multiple forms of data visualization.
Complimenting its upgraded web platform, Avatech’s connected SP2 Smartprobe digitally reads snowpack structure, slope angle and aspect in seconds and then geo-tags the data. Professionals can then upload their data in real-time via the Avanet Mobile application onto the Avanet Pro platform. Improvements to the SP2 for Fall 2015 include: improved GPS lock and speed, faster Bluetooth connectivity, LCD backlit screen for operation in the dark, multiple language options (English, French, German, and Italian) and an enhanced and more simplified user experience.
“Avanet is quickly becoming the software platform of choice across the avalanche industry,” explains Ben Pritchett, program director for AIARE. “The graphic user interfaces for sorting data are fantastic. Combining these user-friendly sorting features with map-based data displays makes it simple to visualize data over the landscape from the mountain range scale down to the slope scale.”
To preorder an Avatech SP2 for this winter and receive a complimentary subscription to Avanet, please visit https://www.avatech.com. Limited-time discounts will be offered to the professional snowsports community through July 30, 2015.
Related: Backcountry safety: A comprehensive avalanche education center directory
