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PARSIVAL

PARSIVAL (Aerial Platforms for Avalanche Search and Rescue)

Timeliness in avalanche Search and Rescue operations is of paramount importance for victim survival: the probability of rescuing alive a fully buried avalanche victim is around 80–90% in the first 15–20 minutes after burial, decreasing very rapidly thereafter. After 35 minutes, the survival probability drops drastically to about 30%.
This means that organized rescue teams often fail to arrive in time, and the survival of those victims depends almost exclusively on the expertise of the group members on site and, nonetheless, on the size and slope of the terrain affected by the avalanche.
The solution proposed in the PARSIVAL project will increase the chances of avalanche survival by promoting self-rescue, minimizing the time to locate buried victims, and reducing the probability of human error.

Objectives

The project involves the development of a lightweight (<1 kg), compact, and easily backpack-portable drone that, autonomously guided by a computer vision algorithm based on data from optical sensors and a miniaturized ARTVA device (avalanche beacon), can automatically locate any buried victim in an assisted rescue configuration and report the location to the 112 emergency center or to a search and rescue service.
If drone-guided self-rescue operations fail, further organized rescue actions can be taken, using multiple drones (equipped with optical and thermal sensors) flying simultaneously in swarm configuration.

To achieve this goal, the project activities include the development of:

  • A small, lightweight, foldable, and portable aerial platform
  • A miniaturized ARTVA sensor carried by the aerial platform
  • A computational algorithm to define the boundaries of the search area and autonomously locate the victim(s), even on steeply sloping terrain
  • A data support system (DSS) able to communicate between users and rescue operators (SAR). The DSS will coordinate other platforms (ground teams, helicopters, drones) to complete the rescue process

The developed solution will be validated through a field study, so to prove its effectiveness compared to traditional search methods and to evaluate its impact on the performance of companions and rescuers.
The project will contribute to sustainable development as promoted by the European Green Deal: it will improve the efficiency of search and rescue operations through low-environmental-impact platforms (electric-powered) and will reduce the use of more polluting platforms (helicopters) when not required.

Project Details

Title: Aerial Platforms for Avalanche Search and Rescue
Acronym: PARSIVAL
Project Code: EFRE1110
CUP: B57H25003290007
Funding Program: ERDF 2021–2027
Total Budget: €400,786.43 (Funded: €321,835.20)
MAVTech Budget: €197,378.08 (Funded: €118,426.85)
Partner: Eurac Research
Duration: 07/01/2026 – 12/31/2028