There is a wide range of businesses that have a need for computers that can take a beating. Not having to constantly worry about broken devices is worth a lot. One area which is not often thought of is the use of rugged computers in environmental expeditions.
3 cases of handhelds rugged computers in environmental expeditions
A smaller field of work, often not ran for profit, is easily overlooked. However, these expeditions are one of the most important jobs in the current environmental crisis. The demands on equipment are often extreme.
Here are 3 cases of rugged computers in environmental expeditions. Where some of the toughest conditions and hardest demands are put on the devices.
Mapping and Surveying Patagonia
The Ultima 2017 expedition sent a team of researchers and cave divers into the most remote parts of Patagonia. Areas that have previously been unexplored. On a mission from UNESCO world heritage, the island was surveyed and classified.
The team gathered data across a wide range of fields such as hydrology, geology, zoology, and archeology. Aside from this they also held live video conferences with schools throughout France.
Climbing through scarily narrow caves, above and below water, obviously requires a rugged computer adapted for environmental expeditions. The Ultima expedition used the Nautiz X8 rugged handheld.
The Nautiz X8 was fitted with a GPS application for geo-referencing satellite images. It also had calculation tools for the divers gas-mixtures, cave mapping software, and several other functions.
Check out the extreme conditions of the expedition below or read more about it here.
Navigating Europe’s largest glacier
Alex Bellini is an Italian explorer and climate advocate. When he crossed Europe’s largest glacier he needed the right tools for navigation and communication. Here is another case of rugged computers in environmental expeditions.
The objective of the expedition was to research the rapid melting of the glacier and raise awareness for climate change. The quick changes in the extreme weather provided an extra challenge and required up-to-date and accurate weather data.
Another potentially very dangerous challenge was the ice cracking and forming huge crevasses due to the rapid melting. This too required up-to-date data for navigating around them safely. Bellini picked the Nautiz X8 from Handheld.
The Nautiz X8 handled the cold without problems, even with winds making the temperature feel like -35 degrees Celsius. Bellini was happy with his choice of rugged device and especially praised the extraordinary battery durability.
Read more about Bellini‘s expedition here.
Researching climate change in Yukon
Apparently rugged handhelds and glacier expeditions go hand in hand. This expedition took place in the Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, where the Kaskawulsh glacier spans 25000 square kilometers.
In this case of rugged computers in environmental expeditions, the researchers needed to gather data and profile the glacier’s depth. The expeditions would last for a week and past that an Observation station was left to keep measuring for several weeks.
The work was carried out with IceRadar from Blue System Integrations paired with the Algiz 7 and Algiz 10x rugged tablet computers from Handheld. The equipment needed to be able to survive extreme temperatures, vibrations, drops, and humidity. With the small and portable equipment, the researchers managed to gather an impressive amount of data to combat climate change.
Read more about the Yukon expedition here.
Rugged computers in environmental expeditions gets the job done
Using equipment that can take the punishment and extreme conditions these expeditions often face is vital to get the job done. With no replacements available, the entire expedition could be at risk if the devices are not up to the job. Rugged computers make sure the data needed to combat climate change is secured.
For more exciting rugged use cases check out our post on rugged computers in the defense industry.
