Our journey

Timeline

From a diploma-thesis idea to an award-winning proof of concept — and the roadmap ahead.

  1. September 2024

    Idea & concept

    Choosing the topic for our Diplomarbeit (diploma thesis) and finding the concept: a custom drone platform for avalanche search and rescue.

  2. Sourcing parts and assembling the first prototype Planning & build

    First prototype

    Planning and sourcing the parts we needed, then ordering and building the first prototype of our fully custom drone.

  3. Testing the drone system on the practice field System bring-up

    Software & base testing

    Setting up the drone's software stack and testing the whole system as a stable base for everything that followed.

  4. Field-testing avalanche beacon technique above the snow line Avalanche technique

    Beacon reverse engineering

    Getting into avalanche-beacon technique — reverse engineering conventional beacons to communicate with and pull data from them.

  5. Integration

    Bringing it together

    Combining the beacon receiver with the drone platform and testing everything together for the first time.

  6. Planning an autonomous search area on the flight map Autonomy

    Autonomous flight & ground link

    Developing the autonomous flight system and the ground communication link between the drone and the response team.

  7. Proof of concept

    First working system

    Bringing every piece together for the first fully working system — our proof of concept.

  8. Handed in

    End of diploma work

    Submitting the finished Diplomarbeit after a year of building, testing, and iterating.

  9. The LVS-AirSearch team and supervisors outside HTL Rankweil after winning the HTL V Award 2025 Award — 1st Place

    Best technical diploma in Vorarlberg

    LVS-AirSearch won 1st place at the HTL V Award 2025, judged best diploma project among all three Vorarlberg HTLs. Thanks to our supervisor Gerold Bischof, our partner Gantner, and sponsors applied collaboration and BCA Backcountry Access.

    View the announcement on LinkedIn →
  10. What’s next
  11. Roadmap

    A stable, fully autonomous prototype

    A stable prototype that flies completely autonomously in mountaineering landscapes, under weather-resistant conditions.

Photos from @lvs_air_search on Instagram.