Item: A METHOD TO COUNT BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS FROM BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY SIGNALS
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Title: A METHOD TO COUNT BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS FROM BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY SIGNALS
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Håvard B. Toft [ The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Oslo, Norway ] [ Center for Avalanche Research and Education, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway ]
- Vegard Vereide [ Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western University of Applied Sciences (HVL), Sogndal, Norway ]
- Ingeborg Bruflot [ Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western University of Applied Sciences (HVL), Sogndal, Norway ]
- Aron Widforss [ The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, Oslo, Norway ]
- Eirik Gravdal [ Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western University of Applied Sciences (HVL), Sogndal, Norway ]
- Olav K. Myksvoll [ Center for Avalanche Research and Education, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway ]
- Audun Hetland [ Center for Avalanche Research and Education, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Quantifying the number of people participating in backcountry skiing is essential for understanding patterns of use, user characteristics, and exposure to avalanche hazard. However, monitoring backcountry use remains challenging due to the dispersed, unregulated, and remote nature of these areas. Existing approaches often rely on surveys, manual observations, or indirect methods, each with limitations in spatial coverage, scalability, and cost. This study presents the development and evaluation of a scalable method for quantifying backcountry use based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensing. The method builds on a multi-year development process, progressing from proof-of-concept to large-scale deployment. Initial testing in the Tromsø region during 2022–2023 confirmed that the prototype worked by comparing its counts with the number of people observed using a time-lapse photography. Subsequent deployments included 30 devices (2023–2024), where a firmware issue reduced the operational period, followed by smaller-scale validation deployments in Sogndal (2024–2025). The most recent phase (2025–2026) includes 50 devices deployed in Lyngen and 8 in Sogndal. The sensing approach is based on detecting nearby BLE devices as a proxy for human presence. A key challenge in BLE-based counting is the potential for repeated detections of the same individual and variation in device detectability. To address this, the method is validated using time-lapse photography to identify the number of backcountry skiers, enabling calibration of detection ratios and uncertainty estimates. The results show that BLE sensing provides a cost-effective, scalable, and flexible method for monitoring backcountry use in remote areas, with strong potential to improve estimates of exposure in avalanche terrain and support more effective avalanche warning services.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P3.10.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790099445
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): HÃ¥vard Boutera Toft
Keywords: Counting, Backcountry skiing, BLE
Page Number(s): 400 - 403
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