An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology

Wireless technologies suitable for Search and Rescue (SaR) operations are becoming crucial for the success of such missions. In avalanche scenarios, the snow depth and the snowpack profile significantly influence the wireless propagation of technologies used to locate victims, such as ARVA (in Frenc...

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Main Authors: Michele Girolami, Fabio Mavilia, Andrea Berton, Gaetano Marrocco, Giulio Maria Bianco
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2024-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10752629/
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author Michele Girolami
Fabio Mavilia
Andrea Berton
Gaetano Marrocco
Giulio Maria Bianco
author_facet Michele Girolami
Fabio Mavilia
Andrea Berton
Gaetano Marrocco
Giulio Maria Bianco
author_sort Michele Girolami
collection DOAJ
description Wireless technologies suitable for Search and Rescue (SaR) operations are becoming crucial for the success of such missions. In avalanche scenarios, the snow depth and the snowpack profile significantly influence the wireless propagation of technologies used to locate victims, such as ARVA (in French: appareil de recherche de victimes d&#x2019;avalanche) systems. In this work, we explore the potential of LoRa technology under challenging realistic conditions. For the first time, we collect radiopropagation data and the contextual snow profile when the transmitter is buried over a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50\times 50$ </tex-math></inline-formula> m area resembling a typical human-triggered avalanche. Specifically, we detail the methodology adopted to collect data through three test types: cross, maximum distance, and drone flyover. The data are annotated with accurate ground truth which allows evaluating localization algorithms based on the RSSI (received signal strength indicator) and SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) of LoRa units. We conducted tests under various environmental conditions, ranging from dry to wet snowpacks. Our results demonstrate the high quality of the LoRa channel, even when the target is buried at a depth of 1 meter in snow with a high liquid water content. At the same time, we quantify the effects of two main degrading factors for the LoRa propagation: the amount of the snow and the liquid water content existing in the snowpack profiles.
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spelling doaj-art-eac15168335747098a8a1229ec22780b2025-08-20T01:52:44ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362024-01-011217101517103510.1109/ACCESS.2024.349765410752629An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa TechnologyMichele Girolami0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3683-7158Fabio Mavilia1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6982-242XAndrea Berton2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8798-9469Gaetano Marrocco3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3151-3071Giulio Maria Bianco4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3216-5884Institute of Information Science and Technologies &#x201C;Alessandro Faedo,&#x201D; National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, ItalyInstitute of Information Science and Technologies &#x201C;Alessandro Faedo,&#x201D; National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, ItalyInstitute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Civil Engineering and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, ItalyWireless technologies suitable for Search and Rescue (SaR) operations are becoming crucial for the success of such missions. In avalanche scenarios, the snow depth and the snowpack profile significantly influence the wireless propagation of technologies used to locate victims, such as ARVA (in French: appareil de recherche de victimes d&#x2019;avalanche) systems. In this work, we explore the potential of LoRa technology under challenging realistic conditions. For the first time, we collect radiopropagation data and the contextual snow profile when the transmitter is buried over a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50\times 50$ </tex-math></inline-formula> m area resembling a typical human-triggered avalanche. Specifically, we detail the methodology adopted to collect data through three test types: cross, maximum distance, and drone flyover. The data are annotated with accurate ground truth which allows evaluating localization algorithms based on the RSSI (received signal strength indicator) and SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) of LoRa units. We conducted tests under various environmental conditions, ranging from dry to wet snowpacks. Our results demonstrate the high quality of the LoRa channel, even when the target is buried at a depth of 1 meter in snow with a high liquid water content. At the same time, we quantify the effects of two main degrading factors for the LoRa propagation: the amount of the snow and the liquid water content existing in the snowpack profiles.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10752629/Antenna systemsARVAlocalizationLoRaradiowave propagationsearch and rescue
spellingShingle Michele Girolami
Fabio Mavilia
Andrea Berton
Gaetano Marrocco
Giulio Maria Bianco
An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
IEEE Access
Antenna systems
ARVA
localization
LoRa
radiowave propagation
search and rescue
title An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
title_full An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
title_fullStr An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
title_full_unstemmed An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
title_short An Experimental Dataset for Search and Rescue Operations in Avalanche Scenarios Based on LoRa Technology
title_sort experimental dataset for search and rescue operations in avalanche scenarios based on lora technology
topic Antenna systems
ARVA
localization
LoRa
radiowave propagation
search and rescue
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10752629/
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