When facing an avalanche, backcountry skiers and snowboarders need to work as a group to rescue buried victims. Today, multiple avalanche safety classes and tools are available to prepare recreationists for an avalanche rescue. One of the tools used by each person traveling is a transceiver (or beacon) that transmits a signal. If buried, others can use their transceivers to search for that signal and locate the victim. This research focuses on the practice of using beacons in backcountry skiing and snowboarding in order to identify challenges and opportunities to design better technology to be used in avalanche accidents.
Project in collaboration with Carman Neustaedter (SFU), Saul Greenberg (University of Calgary), Jeff Hambelton (NWAC and Mt Baker) and Ron Wakkary (SFU)
_ Desjardins, A. Neustaedter, C., Greenberg, S. and Wakkary, R. (2014).
Collaboration Surrounding Beacon Use During Companion Avalanche Rescues, Proc CSCW 2014, New York, ACM Press, 877-887. ** Awarded: HONORABLE MENTION
_ Desjardins, A., Greenberg, S., Wakkary, R., and Hambelton, J. (2016).
Avalanche Beacon Parks: Skill Development and Team Coordination in a Technological Training Ground. In Proc CSCW 2016, New York, ACM Press, 872-886. (acceptance rate 25%)
_ Desjardins, A., Greenberg, S., Wakkary, R., and Hambelton, J. (2016).
Avalanche Beacon Parks: Skill Development and Team Coordination. In Proc ISSW 2016, Breckenridge, Colorado, (in press).
