The avalanche beacon is used in finding people or equipment buried under snow. It is activated prior to skiing/snowboarding to emit a low-power pulsed beacon signal. Following an avalanche, if the holder of the transceiver is safe and has not themselves been caught by the avalanche, they may switch the transceiver from transmit into receive mode, allowing use as a detection device to search for signals coming from other people with transmitter beacons who may be trapped.

It is important that the beacon is quick and easy to access in case of an avalanche. Winter conditions and thick gloves can make this difficult. Using this scan, the shell could be improved to make it easier to pull out of a pocket or holster.