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Northstar

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DESIGN GOAL

a safety resource for

National PaRK visitors that equips them with the Tools and Guidance needed TO recreate responsibly

Beautiful but dangerous

In the US national park system...

312

Deaths

Avg in a year or about 6 per week

3,926

Search + Rescues

Were recorded Between 2018-2020 alone

16+

Disappearances

happened where no bodies were found 2018-2020

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A Growing imbalance

Over the last decade park rangers have steadily declined in number, meanwhile growing hoards of visitors flood the parks.

 

Because of this the ratio is further off balance. This leads to visitors being underserved and park resources being overburdened.

Initial Concept ideation

wearable beacon

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Emergency stations

RFID location tracking

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Digital assistant

Talking to the experts

OVER 70 YEARS COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE

Micah

RusH

Micah

RusH

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Peak rescue founder

Meghan

Smith

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Grand Canyon PSAR Supervisor

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Scott

Guenther

Grand Teton

Ranger

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AnnA

Marini

Joshua tree psar Supervisor

DAVID

Pinella

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Civil air patrol KY73rd

Austin

Beason

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Mount rainier

Winter ranger

Research takeaways

2

Most deaths are abrupt not gradual, beyond reactive help

REscue is too late for many

3

Majority of the causes are due to visitor behavior

Incidents are preventable

1

Physical solutions face problems of logistics, cost, and compliance

physical systems are Complicated

PROJECT GOALS

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Prevent

Deaths, injuries, and emergencies proactively

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AID

WHEN emergency situations inevitably do happen

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PRESERVE

The independent spirit of the wilderness experience

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CUltivate

More capable and responsible outdoor recreationists

INTROducing NOrthstar

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A mobile app for us national park visitors that tackles safety proactively by giving them the tools and guidance they need to recreate responsibly.

"The Northstar" - a star that aligns to the Earth's northern polar axis providing a reliable marker to orient and navigate

MutuaL BENEFIT

Park Staff

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Receives

Receives

Visitor Trip Itineraries

Last Known Positions

Medical IDs

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Information

Guidance

Warnings

Visitors

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Using an algorithm

No two trips are the same and neither are any two people.

 

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By using an algorithm Northstar delivers users the most accurate, relevant information.

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Age

Height + Weight

Resting Heart Rate

Home Elevation

Activity Frequency

Allergies/Conditions

Personal Inputs

Hike Distance

Trail Terrain

Park Elevation

Climate + Conditions

Trip Inputs

Variable Outputs

Individualized Difficulty Ratings

Hike Time Commitment Estimates

Water + Calorie Recommendations

Relevant Gear Suggestions

Medical ID For EMT Responders

Features

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Learn

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Discover

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Prepare

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Navigate

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Rescue

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Contact me

614 - 935 - 4366

eppleyaw@mail.uc.edu

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