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of the features people were most excited about was the avail- last winter increased traffic on the area’s interactive map by
ability of the web giant’s “streetview mode,” which would allow 30 percent, and mobile traffic by a whopping 50 percent.
enthusiasts to take a virtual run down some of their favorite
slopes. That kind of “see-it-to-ski-it” focus has dictated how the “It’s our third most viewed page after the homepage
majority of ski areas are adapting 3D mapping on their moun- and weather,” said JHMR Digital Marketing Manager Ned
tains, utilizing it as a consumer-facing asset under the purview Wonson. “And it is almost purely consumer-facing, although it
of their marketing departments. has allowed us to work more closely with operations to update
our maps, and to provide instant information on what was
At Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, for groomed and when specific trails were groomed last.”
example, the implementation of a mobile-friendly 3D map
Wonson said that, locally, “all the race guys use the map
FIGURE 1: LIDAR PROGRESSION EXAMPLE regularly to find out when the racecourse is open, which speaks
to how user-friendly it is.” And the next evolution of the tech-
SCAN POINT #1 DISTANCE: 32.7 FT VERTICLE ANGLE: 0 ° nology will most likely involve the terrain parks. “We’re always
AZIMUTH: 55 ° COLOR: R: 155 G: 153 B: 120 looking for ways to highlight the specific features we have, and
this could be a good way to do that,” he said.
SCAN POINT #5 DISTANCE: 33.1 FT VERTICLE ANGLE: -10 °
AZIMUTH: 55 ° COLOR: R: 10 G: 10 B: 255 Another innovative application of the technology is at
Telluride Resort in Colorado, which uses information from
1 SCAN = 700 MILLION POINTS the 3D technology to develop printed, tactile maps for its
DISTANCE: 33.1 FT adaptive guests so they can familiarize themselves with the
terrain ahead of time (see “3D Map Lets Adaptive Students
SCAN POINT #5 AZIMUTH: 55 ° Preview the Ski Hill,” pg. 38).
VERTICLE ANGLE: -10 ° In Europe, the company FATMAP is harnessing the
COLOR: R: 10 G: 10 B: 255 power of high-resolution imaging satellites such as Pleiades and
Worldview 3, which enable the creation of both high-quality
The 3D scanner shoots out a quick burst of laser light to a surface, imagery and ultra-high resolution terrain models to produce stun-
which reflects the beam back to the scanner, providing information ningly detailed 3D maps. While the brand has focused predomi-
on: distance (calculated using the time it took to hit the object and nately on mapping lift-served terrain, it is also expanding off-piste,
return), azimuth (the exact lateral angle of the scanner, which spins on providing adventure skiers—as well as mountain guides and
a 360-degree rotation), altitude (the angle at which the burst of energy mountain rescue services—with a brand new resource.
was directed), and color, which is digitally classified as three compo-
nents (red, green, blue), with values ranging from 0 to 255. “We spent time understanding the key information peo-
ple need to know to plan routes and navigate safely on the
mountain,” said FATMAP co-founder Misha Gopaul. “We
also spent time learning where and how people currently get
into trouble. We were interested to discover this is largely
due to lack of information resulting in people doing things
like following tracks because they can’t get the information
they need easily enough.”
Better information will result in better safety, said
Gopaul, which is why the app features one-click access to the
local snow safety bulletin and highlights avalanche terrain
clearly in distinct bands so users can assess the gradient. The
result is faster, more detailed understanding of terrain, and
hours saved looking at maps and measuring contours.
“Mountain Guides are using FATMAP to plan their
trips on a daily basis and find the right day out for their cli-
ents with peace of mind about safety,” Gopaul said. “We’ve
also heard from pro-photographers and athletes who are able
to plan their shoots in detail with FATMAP.”
FROM THE CONTROL ROOM TO THE PATROL ROOM
Beyond all the “previewing” focus of 3D mapping—with
36 | NSAA JOURNAL | FALL 2015
