Stuck on a Ski Slope? There's an Augmented Reality App For That!

[Michael Essany]

Every year we hear the tragic tales of individuals who perished after getting lost on what should have been an uneventful mountain hike, skiing trip, or other mountainous adventure of some sort. Now, the iPhone 3GS is being modified into a potentially life saving device to help wayward individuals find their way back to safety. Or at least find a bathroom.

Geek.com is providing coverage of the new app's release. Dubbed "REALSKI," the application enables users to scan their surroundings using their iPhone 3GS. Thanks to the miracle of augmented reality, digital graphics appear over the landscape to reveal specific information and vital details about nearby trails and virtually everything else in your immediate surroundings - even if it's covered in snow and invisible to the naked eye.

If you are an avid skier who is looking to hit the slopes this season you may want to check out a new application called REALSKI by Resort Technology Partners (RTP). The Colorado-based company is offering an iPhone 3GS application which gives skiers valuable information when it comes to navigating popular ski resorts. The initial version of the app will have five resorts including Killington, Copper Mountain, Deer Valley, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Stevens Pass.

A free version of REALSKI is available but includes information pertinent to the above five US resorts only. Additional resorts and locations will be available for a fee at a later time.

The best way to describe the experience for skiers using the app is to recall how television viewers watching the NHL were able to follow the movement of the fast-moving puck by way of a digital tracer that outlined its trajectory and presence at all times. Today, similar technology enables the iPhone 3GS to provide details and outlines of trails and other surrounding landmarks in your presence.

RTP has to be happy to be one of the first out of the gate, pun intended, to offer an augmented reality (AR) app for mountain resorts. Considering the capabilities of the iPhone 3GS we will no doubt see more of these AR apps hit the app store.

RTP launched REALSKI just the day before yesterday, and already its becoming a hot commodity for skiers. The application is expected to work at all Colorado resorts by the conclusion of this year.

I found it kind of humorous that the developer made it a point to remind skiers not to use the app while actually skiing in its press release.

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Image via Geek.com

[joehowes]

amazing!!! I want it for europe!!!!!

[battlecrushr]

Haha

[wrxratd]

Great idea but u wont catch me snowboarding with my iphone on me i use a pos phone for that

[ecd5000]

too bad i dont have a 3gs and live in colorado, but there is a bunch of ski resorts around here in PA

[politicalslug]

BAD MOVE!!! Have you ever brought your iPhone to the snow? I went snowboarding with my iPhone and never will I make that mistake again. I have the iPhone sealed in a plastic bag and the second I took it out INSTANT CONDENSATION! I'm lucky it didn't fry. I'm lucky the moisture indicator didn't turn pink. I don't care what kind of app you have, like the previous poster said: You bring a shitty phone to the mountain... NOT AND iPHONE!!!

[oscar25]

I take my iphone snowboarding with me all the time and have never had an issue with it.

[hancoma]

It would be really cool if you had sunglasses that were fed the augmented reality, connected through bluetooth to the iphone...course you would need a camera of some sort on the glasses.

Then you could see the course real time without having to slow down, take out phone, etc etc..

[blkcadi]

I take my iphone snowboarding with me all the time and have never had an issue with it.

Ditto, I take mine while snowboarding also, although I use my old 2G when I go, but still have never had an issue other then freezing my hands off trying to use it.
May have to check this app out for the next trip.

[rhekt]

this will be awesome until you take that one big tumble down the double black diamond and crush your screen. *yuck*

[eaglesteve]

I too took mine to skiing. With heavy blizzards and snow, still no problem.

[thevmax]

Help! I'm lost on a mountain and can't find a bathroom!
OH YAH...there's an app for that!

[Hyperextension]

OMG people!!! You're skiing!!! Who brings a phone to the ski hill? Same people who yak on the phone on the golf course. You're out there relaxing and having fun. Leave the phone at home for God's Sake!

[Riviera]

BAD MOVE!!! Have you ever brought your iPhone to the snow? I went snowboarding with my iPhone and never will I make that mistake again. I have the iPhone sealed in a plastic bag and the second I took it out INSTANT CONDENSATION! I'm lucky it didn't fry. I'm lucky the moisture indicator didn't turn pink. I don't care what kind of app you have, like the previous poster said: You bring a shitty phone to the mountain... NOT AND iPHONE!!!

I keep my iPhone in the inside pocket of my jacket. Sometimes I wrap it with microfiber cloth. Never had any problems when I fell while skiing.

Help! I'm lost on a mountain and can't find a bathroom!
OH YAH...there's an app for that!

LOL ... that's a good one.

[hollow0]

Man that is a great idea! That app is really helpful. I'm not much of a skier/snow boarder but if i was stuck in a situation like that then using the app is a definite win. Assuming it's one of the places mentioned lol.

[Nopzig]

I don't see a problem with taking your iPhone skiing, I do it almost every day I'm a fulltime ski instructor at a resort in Utah. I even have the phone wire into my helmet so I can use the voice capabilities of the 3GS to control the ipod function and the phone which is nice since I don't have to take off my gloves to call friends or other instructors when I'm working. So to date my iPhone three GS has been skiing a total of 12 days all day no problems. I think the big thing is having it strategically placed on your body I have a bonfire coat with a special pocket for cell phones and ipods. The pocket has a little extra padding and it also doesn't allow for great deal of temperature change so condensation doesn't build up on the phone and unless you go pond skimming it's not going to get wet. I've taken one big spill with it on me this season when I was snowboarding and didn't have any problems the pocket for the iPhone is located just below my rib cage on the left side which if you ski and snowboard a lot you know is an area that doesn't get hit a lot it's usually your arms and legs. If your just starting it's not a good idea to take it with you.