Automated Sensor-Fusion Based Emergency Rescue for Remote and Extreme Sport Activities

Abstract

Even though technological advances changed and improved our daily life in various ways, the risks and dangers of extreme sport activities (ESAs) still persist and the progress of technology had little impact on them. Existing emergency rescue devices for ESAs still require manual activation and do not detect emergency situations autonomously. However, fusing the data feeds of simple sensors can easily enhance the functionalities of those devices and allow for the detection of emergency situations and subsequent rescue in the case of injuries. We identify the difficulties and challenges posed by ESAs, the role and potential value of information technology in such activities and example use cases and scenarios. We further present a prototype device for climbers that can detect potentially dangerous fall events.