GlideBuddy

Problem & Solution (challenge 2)

GlideBuddy is designed to make the sport paragliding more accessible and safer for people at all levels of expertise. Statistically, the main causes of an unsatisfying paragliding experience, aside from control issues, are misjudging wind conditions and the reachability of landing sites. These are the problems we aim to address with GlideBuddy, an integrated solution that helps you plan your flights through an app and supports you in real time with an informative HUD.

Our application leverages historical data from Copernicus DEM and Climate C3S to evaluate route safety and atmospheric conditions. Real-time data from Sentinel 2 and 3 satellites enables continuous assessment of landing site quality and thermal gradient analysis for accurate air current estimation. The system automatically processes this information and adapts recommendations based on user skill level and seasonal conditions. Additionally, the app provides comprehensive planning tools and waypoint management for both competitive events and sports tourism activities.

During flight, the paraglider is supported non-invasively by a pair of commercial smart glasses, which provide an Augmented Reality (AR) information overlay. This system integrates with a sensor device called the GlideBox. The GlideBox receives real-time satellite data, including thermal imaging and positioning, which is processed by a predictive algorithm. This system directs the smart glasses to display the location of upcoming updrafts and thermal currents. By leveraging historical wind data, shared local information from other gliders, and air traffic transponders for collision warnings, the system enables a significantly safer and more efficient gliding experience.

The GlideBuddy team

GlideBuddy is a project conceived during this hackathon, when a team of six engineers from a POLIMI student association came together to identify a problem and develop a potential solution. Our system was born from our diverse skills and backgrounds, which enabled us to identify a challenge in a rapidly growing sector and than propose a technology that we knew would be welcomed, rather than rejected, by sports enthusiasts.

Within our team, we possess not only the engineering expertise that allowed us to confidently establish the feasibility of our idea, but also knowledge in the fields of business, startups, management, graphic design, and paragliding itself.