“The successful implementation of PROX-EYE™ in Nordic’s Snow Cat machine is another milestone on the world’s journey to zero harm in the workplace.”
Meet Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club
The Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club is a volunteer-run non-profit organization for cross-country
skiing in Northern British Columbia, Canada. The club runs, grooms, and maintains the Onion Lake Ski trails; a premier cross-country skiing location and a staple of northern recreation.
Skiers enjoy the 35 kilometres of groomed trails 24/7, however, this creates an inherent risk because the skiers and the trail groomers are operating in close proximity to one another. This is especially critical when considering the numerous tasks the operator is managing when running the machine; 8-way blade control, direction and speed control, tiller bar operation (processing the snow), and track setting (left and right side independently). Due to the complex nature of the tasks, the infrequency of the volunteers operating the equipment, and the close proximity of operation to the skiers, Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club was very keen to help the operators manage risk and proactively notify the operator of any skiers in close proximity to the machine.
Why PROX-EYE ™?
When evaluating potential solutions, a simple rear-view camera system was considered, but with the operator’s attention focused on so many other aspects of the machine operation, it was deemed an inadequate solution. Thus, the decision was made to go with PROX-EYE™ because of the system's ability to alert the operator of any potential human, vehicle, wildlife or objects in the rearward danger zone.
Correct-AI utilizes proprietary and patented machine learning Artificial Intelligence to effectively detect potential risks in the workplace. To minimize false positives that may lead to either complacency or the operator ignoring the warning system entirely, the PROX-EYE™ solution classifies objects immediately and simultaneously displays high-resolution real-time imagery for the operator so they can validate the alarms and react in real-time. Using an innovative approach, the camera field of view automatically changes depending on the position of the tiller, therefore the operator has a complete view of the blind spots. The system is constructed with robust materials, perfect for surviving the harsh winters synonymous with Northern British Columbia.
The successful implementation of PROX-EYE™ in Nordic’s Snow Cat machine is another milestone on the world’s journey to zero harm in the workplace and exemplifies the potential of object detection technology in non-construction applications.
-Joshua Papke , Snow Valley Nordic Ski Club
.png)