How do ski resorts prepare for the next skiing season

Author: Lukas Ingold

To perfectly perform the job as a snow groomer operator, even experienced ski resort employees rely increasingly onaccurate 3D snow depth measuring solutions– just like高山积雪managem徕卡图标ent. This solutionmeasures and visualises snow depths on the snow groomer’s displayusing adigital terrain modelcreated from bare summer terrain without snow.

滑雪胜地员工依靠fr的信息om snow management systems are often surprised to discover there is snow under the machine even though the system shows negative snow depths. The reason is often found in the underlying terrain model. Just as ski resorts need to maintain the machine park before the start of the season, it is important to maintain and update the field data, specifically the terrain model used for snow depth measurement.

Keep your data updated

Lukas Ganahl and his team from Silvretta Montafon Bergbahnen GmbH in Austria using the iCG70 T GNSS rover for terrain measurements.

Accurate snow depth measurementsrely on the quality of the design modelused. Up-to-date data must include all the adjustments made to the terrain and the infrastructure during the year. Preparing a new ski slope, installing or modifying a lift or other changes are part of the activities taking place outside the season – these changes must be included in the existing data. The data can be collected with a GNSS rover, like the LeicaiCG70 T GNSSrover or other Leica Geosystems data collection solutions, and must be included into the terrain models.

Collecting points for large-scale mapping with the Leica Pegasus:Backpack for the terrain model for the World Cup in Ulricehamn, Sweden by Viktor Kastanius from Leica Geosystems.

Beyond terrain models

There aretwo general types of terrain models for 3D snow depth measurement. Leica Geosystems uses amodel of the mapped surfacefrom differently-sized triangles. The advantage of this model is that details in the terrain, such as edges, irregularities, single rocks and trenches are accurately depicted in the terrain model available for the snow grooming. In addition, the exact mapping is essential for cutting off for roads or trenches and foravoiding the risk of collision. Other systems work with regularly-distanced points of usually1 metrethat map the surface in a rigid frame. This type of terrain model uses a smaller amount of data that will, however, be reflected in the accuracy of the measured snow depth data.

Triangulated terrain mode with highly-visible detail

Terrain model from regularity distanced points with a low level of detail

Are your system components updated?

Leica iCON alpinePRO is a complete management system for the entire resort infrastructure.

Just as for other computer systems, there are continuous improvements in the hardware and software. It is recommended to always use the latest software version of the snow depth measurement system – this will ensure you can use all functions optimally.

The same holds for the continuously-updated system components. For the upcoming skiing season of 2019 and 2020, Leica Geosystems launched theMC1 software for iCONalpine solution as well asnewly-developed sensor technology for the 3D snow depth measurementat INTERALPIN in 2019. iCON alpine can be installed and used on any manufacturers’ snow groomer. PRINOTH offers the iCON alpine READY-KIT with for all their snow groomers,reducing on-site installation and calibrationof the solution by just one to two hours.