SNOWsat is a professional slope and fleet management system with snow depth measurement, which is based on satellite-guided positioning.
Snow depth measurement
The current position of the snow groomer is continually plotted to an accuracy of a few inches. The value that results after deducting the vehicle height is then compared with the depth value of a digital terrain model (reference depth) stored in the system. The snow depth at the current vehicle position is the difference between these two heights.
Infrastructure
Precise positioning is essential for high-accuracy snow depth measurement. This requires correction signals, which eliminate system-related inaccuracies, increasing positioning accuracy still further. The SNOWsat base station calculates these figures using GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO satellite signals. The correction signals are sent to the snow groomers directly or with the help of repeaters. These may be required to guarantee optimum reception in ski resorts with complex topography.
In the snow groomer the GNSS receiver and the on-board computer continually calculate position, snow depth and other vehicle data, record it and present it on the touchscreen in the driver’s cab. When the vehicle is within range of a SNOWsat WiFi access point the data is automatically transmitted to the SNOWsat server and stored there.