Avalanche invention could save lives

KIRK HARGREAVES/The Press

STABILITY DETECTOR: Professor Keith Alexander shows a potentially life-saving snow probe being developed by the University of Canterbury to predict avalanches.

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A potentially life-saving snow probe used to predict avalanches has been developed by University of Canterbury mechanical engineers.

The probe is the brainchild of Christchurch engineer Arthur Tyndall.

Tyndall, a former president of the Broken River Ski Club, made the first prototype in 1999 after the death of friend Neville Ryde in an avalanche at the club field in 1992.

"He was collected and was buried down 30 feet," he said.

"At the time, I thought, `I think I can do something about this'."

Three mechanical engineering students, supervised by Professor Keith Alexander, have spent thousands of hours testing and refining the instrument.

Masters student Mike Halsegger, a former Austrian ski instructor, completed his thesis on the device this year.

Alexander, who developed the spring-free trampoline, said early versions were complicated, but the latest model was simple.

Tyndall said the instrument was ready for manufacture, and he believed it could revolutionise avalanche-control work.

The device had detected an unstable layer during testing at Broken River and when the temperature rose in the afternoon, there was an avalanche, he said.

"I feel that I've maybe done something that's a help to avoid tragedy, because I know how it feels losing a friend in that sort of circumstance.

"I would like to see it in use and then I'd be proud of it."

Using a rotating vane, the instrument detects instability by measuring the snow's resistance. It then uses the slope of the hillside to determine the likelihood of an avalanche. The assessment is sent to a handheld computer.

It takes about 30 seconds, and negates the need for avalanche controllers to dig pits to find layers of unstable snow.

Canterbury heliskiing guide Jonathan Morgan and Australian heliskier Llynden Riethmuller died in separate avalanches in the Ragged Range near Methven this winter, while snowboarder Ryan Campbell was killed after being buried in an avalanche on Coronet Peak.

Lincoln Sell, of iDesign Solutions, estimated a $500,000 cost from now to the first 10 off the production line, including compliance testing and verification, design, and electronics.

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