AI Ski Lift Monitoring for Boarding and Exit Incident Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ski lift on-boarding and off-boarding locations pose safety risks due to the concentration of skiers and mechanical hazards, with human attendants often being unaware of developing problems or out of position to respond quickly.
Innovation Solution
An always-on, always-alert system using video cameras, a video processing module, and an artificial intelligence engine to detect potential problems in real-time, initiating actions such as slowing or stopping the lift to mitigate risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human attendants monitor on-boarding and off-boarding areas, then skier safety can be addressed, but human attendants are often unaware of developing problems or out of position to respond quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human visual monitoring and physical response with an automated computer vision system. Video cameras capture footage of on-boarding and off-boarding areas, AI algorithms automatically detect potential problems such as skiers in unsafe positions or equipment issues, and the system triggers appropriate responses without human intervention delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service safety monitoring where the ski lift infrastructure itself (through integrated cameras and computing resources) performs the safety monitoring and detection functions that previously required external human attendants. The system is self-sufficient in detecting problems and initiating responses.
2Loss of time
If an automated AI-based detection system is implemented, then response time to incidents is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a multi-functional integrated approach where video cameras serve both security monitoring and operational detection functions, the AI engine performs multiple types of analysis (skier behavior, equipment status, environmental conditions), and a single platform handles detection, analysis, and response coordination across all lift operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary inference processing module that sits between the AI engine's detections and the final response actions. This module filters, prioritizes, and validates AI detections before triggering responses, reducing false positives and managing system complexity through layered processing.
3Measurement precision
If continuous video monitoring is performed, then problem detection accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by analyzing video frames at strategically determined intervals rather than continuously processing every frame. The inference processing module can adjust analysis frequency based on detected activity levels, maintaining high detection accuracy during critical periods while reducing computational load during normal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action through pre-processing video frames to identify regions of interest or anomalous patterns before full AI analysis. This preliminary filtering reduces the computational burden on the main AI engine while maintaining detection accuracy by focusing resources on potentially problematic areas.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for improved operations of ski lifts increase skier safety at on-boarding and off-boarding locations by providing an always-on, always-alert system that “watches” these locations, identifies developing problem situations, and initiates mitigation actions. One or more video cameras feed live video to a video processing module. The video processing module feeds resulting sequences of images to an artificial intelligence (AI) engine. The AI engine makes an inference regarding existence of a potential problem situation based on the sequence of images. This inference is fed to an inference processing module, which determines if the inference processing module should send an alert or interact with the lift motor controller to slow or stop the lift.