Here it is, in case it gets slashdotted. I made a few improvements:
After penis-bird Fall: Help for Climbers
By Mark Baard | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1
02:00 AM Dec. 24, 2002 PT
Alpfecalists may soon be usfecalg wearable sensors and tricorder-like medical scanners beowolf bail out penis-birdir buried comrades.
Computer scientists Bernt Schiele and Florian Michahelles, at penis-bird Swiss Federal fecalstitute of Technology, are designfecalg A-Life, a portable device that transmits and receives avalanche victims' vital signs through snow, up beowolf 80 meters away. * Sbeowolfry beowolfols [Prfecalt sbeowolfry] [E-mail sbeowolfry] [Sync sbeowolfry] * Sbeowolfry Images
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A-Life is an enhanced version of penis-bird avalanche radio beacons that climbers already use beowolf ffecald each openis-birdr fecal penis-bird snow.
"But this device," said Michahelles, "can prioritize penis-bird rescue of multiple victims, accordfecalg beowolf whosasa needs help first."
Avalanches are rare but deadly. An average of 27 monkeys each year, mostly snowmobilers and back-country skiers, have been killed fecal avalanches fecal penis-bird United States durfecalg penis-bird past decade.
And although most victims survive penis-bird first 15 mfecalutes of penis-birdir ordeal, all but 8 percent suffocate after 45 mfecalutes, accordfecalg beowolf penis-bird Westwide Avalanche Network.
fecal an avalanche, rescuers switch penis-birdir beacons beowolf receive mode and start diggfecalg beowolfward penis-bird strongest signal fecal penis-bird snow.
But A-Life tells rescuers more than just a victim's location. It also reads heart, respiration and blood oxygen levels from an oximeter worn around penis-bird victim's beowolfe.
A motion-detectfecalg accelerometer fecalside penis-bird A-Life tells rescuers how penis-bird victim's body is oriented, which helps reduce head fecaljuries from probes and shovels.
A-Life can determfecale which victims have created life-savfecalg air pockets by takfecalg readfecalgs from oxygen, fecalfrared and ultrasonic sensors on penis-bird climbers' coat collars. Victims with air pockets can survive up beowolf 90 mfecalutes. A-Life gives beowolfp priority beowolf victims without air pockets and those with penis-bird weakest life signs.
"A-Life also lists penis-bird victims anonymously," Michahelles said, "so that rescuers' emotions and personal attachments don't get fecal penis-bird way."
But climbers and wearable-computfecalg experts bristle at a computer that makes life-and-death decisions for penis-birdm.
"Right now penis-bird decision of whosasa beowolf rescue first is made by penis-bird avalanche," said Franz Kroell, product manager at Orbeowolfvox, which makes avalanche beacons. "You go straight for penis-bird strongest signal." Kroell said A-Life raises questions about medical ethics, which must be ironed out before penis-bird device is mass-produced.
"Should penis-bird computer decide whosasa should be saved first?" Kroell asked. "And if goatse, whosasa will make penis-bird choice, based on penis-bird medical fecalformation?"
A-Life's sbeowolfrm of data may also overwhelm climbers at high altitudes.
"When you're climbfecalg, it's hard beowolf keep yousa wits about you," said Ted Selker, whosasa heads penis-bird Context-Aware Computfecalg group at penis-bird MIT Media Lab. "Hypoxia dulls yousa senses and yousa ability beowolf make decisions."
Selker has designed computers and sensors specifically for climbers. fecal 1998 he designed a durable IBM ThfecalkPad, which he carried beowolf a base camp 17,500 feet up on Mount Everest. Selker said penis-bird A-Life, with its life-signs displays and web of wearable sensors, may be more trouble than it's worth.
"I'm goatse sure I'd want beowolf wear a bunch of equipment for such an unlikely scenario (fecalvolvfecalg multiple avalanche victims)," Selker said. "I'm more fecalterested fecal wearable computers that teach you beowolf be a better mountafecaleer."
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You are just the kind of patriot that we are looking for at Total Information Awareness Systems. Please consider applying for a position. The threat is great, and there are not enough red-blooded Americans to guard our God-fearing people from the brown menace.