Drowning Snowmobilers

[WARY]

Hello there,

We have been working on a system for snowmobiles that break through thin ice or drive out into open water. Some of you have followed our posts over the last 10 years, we used to be JTW ASSOC, but now we are WARI, same engineering lab in Minnesota. The system is now being built into a custom seat so all a user has to do is swap out his or her existing seat and they are protected from drowning while 'biling.

The device inflates from within the seat and remains tethered to the semi-submerged snowmobile. The device will float the sled, and 2 to 3 adults above the water line. Just pull a rip cord when you get in trouble and the device inflates. We call it the Nebulus device.

The device will also float a snowmobile in an avalanche.

We are building both a mountain avalanche seat and a flatlander water flotation model.

We will post pics of the prototypes as they become available, and we would like your comments on the design. Each year in North America 25 people drown when their sleds and ATVs go through the ice.

Thanks.......

 

[depsnolvr]

"The device will also float a snowmobile in an avalanche."

Thats a bold statement, has it been tested in the snow ?

 

[WyoBoy1000]

is it rechargeable and how much

 

[WARY]

We are working on making it rechargeable. Not ready to estimate a price yet, still working on the material and labor costs. There already is a working prototype we made being used by an Idaho sledder for 4 years now. No, he hasn't been in a slide yet.

And yes, we've tested the device attached to a snowmobile in an avalanche. We posted the video on here a long time ago. We'll look for some pics for you as well. It was in the Wasatch Range, Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada. We used a snowmobile attached to a device and rolled a class 2 avalanche over it. The sled floated right to the top of the slide....

 

[depsnolvr]

thats awesome, good work

 

[christopher]

And yes, we've tested the device attached to a snowmobile in an avalanche. We posted the video on here a long time ago. We'll look for some pics for you as well. It was in the Wasatch Range, Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada. We used a snowmobile attached to a device and rolled a class 2 avalanche over it. The sled floated right to the top of the slide....

Would love to see that video if you can dig it up.

 

[Rprecision]

If it attaches anything like a stock seat, at least you could recover your seat !

 

[snowrodeo]

what happened to your avi vest for this year????

 

[ccoleman77]

Sweet idea but you still need an avy bag or something like that b/c you are quickly separated from your sled in an avy right?

 

[WARY]

The Avi-Vest will be available this Fall at www.avi-vest.com

The snowmobile/ATV device is still in development. The snowmo/ATV version of the device attaches to the metal superstructure of your machine like the deck or the frame. The harness and attachment tether are made from thick nylon webbing to take the extreme G-forces of an avalanche and not seperate. During the 5 years we have been testing the Avi-Vest the most difficult part of these avalanche flotation systems to design and engineer is the harness and tether, and not the actual flotation ball itself. The harness and tether have to give a little during the avalanche, but not break. Easier said then done, and this is one of the reasons why we have done more actual avalanche field testing than anyone else in the business.

When an avalanche hits you, or you start an avalanche, the device will float your machine down the mountain at the surface of the avalanche without letting your machine roll and cartwheel down the hill, destroying the machine and possibly killing you the rider. We are developing this device assuming that a rider is wearing a human avalanche air bag system.

 

[H2SNOW]

I say that you have a great idea and concept ..hope it all works...what are the price points ??

 

[Ollie]

interesting idea.
I would like to see a final model and how it attaches to a sled.

 

[ADRENALINE]

The Avi-Vest will be available this Fall at www.avi-vest.com

The snowmobile/ATV device is still in development. The snowmo/ATV version of the device attaches to the metal superstructure of your machine like the deck or the frame. The harness and attachment tether are made from thick nylon webbing to take the extreme G-forces of an avalanche and not seperate. During the 5 years we have been testing the Avi-Vest the most difficult part of these avalanche flotation systems to design and engineer is the harness and tether, and not the actual flotation ball itself. The harness and tether have to give a little during the avalanche, but not break. Easier said then done, and this is one of the reasons why we have done more actual avalanche field testing than anyone else in the business.

When an avalanche hits you, or you start an avalanche, the device will float your machine down the mountain at the surface of the avalanche without letting your machine roll and cartwheel down the hill, destroying the machine and possibly killing you the rider. We are developing this device assuming that a rider is wearing a human avalanche air bag system.

That link doesn't take you to where I thought it should. Interesting concept.

 

[WARY]

pic of slide hitting snowmobile attached to red 6 foot diameter avalanche airbag......

the pic is taken from a video of the avalanche test in Nevada.

 

[WARY]

Here you can see the air bag sitting on top of the stopped class 2 avalanche. The snowmobile is also visible. It is the dark shape to the left of the red air bag. It is also sitting on top of the stopped avalanche.

 

[DaveB]

http://www.avivest.com/