Shifting Snow and Expectations

Article by Aspen Wooley | Photo by Grace Heaton

Andrew hops off the lift and skis over to the top of the slope. He shoots down his favorite run and revels in the feeling of flying down the mountain. Suddenly the ground begins to rumble, and Andrew looks up in concern. Snow is starting to pile up behind him, and he realizes an avalanche is coming! Before he knows it, he is all shaken up!

Then - all at once - he realizes it is just his roommate trying to wake him up for class. Gratefully there is no avalanche chasing him, but this can all too often be a reality for skiers and other winter sport enthusiasts. Current measures to detect avalanches and find those trapped in them aren’t always effective, something that Honors student Andrew McDonald is trying to improve.

Andrew is a senior from Broomfield, Colorado, graduating this winter in Electrical Engineering. He enjoys being outside and hiking and although he doesn’t ski often, has loved hitting the slopes when he’s had the chance. Skiing has surprisingly not been a big part of his life, but he was intrigued at the idea of using his engineering expertise in connection with a new hobby.

As Andrew was trying to come up with a project for his thesis, he learned about the idea of using radar to detect avalanches. Using a commercial radio to collect data and then interpret what the radar is picking up, he can identify avalanches and other movements, such as people skiing. With this information, search and rescue teams could quickly pinpoint where a person is after getting caught in an avalanche. The first 20 minutes are the most important in these situations, so a speedy response is critical for the survival of those trapped. Although this specific project doesn’t prevent avalanches, it aids in the response when they do happen.

As Andrew explains the process and how the radar works, he lights up, eager to talk about this technology. “On a few occasions I get to go and collect data and that’s pretty fun! I walk around with this big metal target basically, and gather information, trying to see if I can find anything moving.” The end goal of this project is to install autonomous radar detection so that whole mountainsides can be monitored efficiently and effectively. Carrying out simple tests is great for figuring out data, but ultimately this project is “for saving lives.”

When Andrew sets out to gather data and process it, he wheels around his trusty cart, laden with his instruments and radio. He walks around fields on campus for now, anticipating the day when his team will be able to go into the mountains and fully implement this technology. Most of Andrew’s day-to-day work includes coding and “changing how we talk to the radio so that the information we collect is more meaningful.”

Some of the hardest parts of this research, Andrew explains, are classic challenges in engineering projects. “I am always surprised by just how much more slowly things go than what you expect. Sometimes it is a lot harder to make measurable progress than you anticipate.” Processing data, he elaborates, has been difficult, as the radar needs to be tuned to exact specifications and the data is hard to decipher. “I’ve been collecting all this information, and I don’t actually know what it really looks like yet.” Interpreting this data has not gone how he imagined, and although this has caused discomfort, Andrew is learning that this is normal. While some parts of the project haven’t turned out to be his favorite, he is discovering a passion for gathering data. Navigating all of this requires “being able to change my expectations and realize it’s not really possible to accomplish what I originally wanted, but I can still get meaningful results.”

This project has ultimately been one of growth and learning for Andrew, but also a true passion project. As a teenager, he was sure that he wanted to pursue electrical engineering, and from the first classes he took, he knew he had found his place. His thesis project has not only taught Andrew more about his studies, but also how to keep himself accountable and learn through setbacks. He’s found that unexpected turns and shifting plans are all worth it in the pursuit of important work. “There’s a difference between work and work that accomplishes something, work that really gets something done.” This engineering project, and ultimately this personal project, is paving the way for a meaningful difference for Andrew and in the lives of those who may one day need saving.