Engineering for the Extreme: HardwareX Powers the UNTAMED Ocean Rowing Expedition
In May 2025, the UNTAMED team sets off onto a groundbreaking endeavor: a 75-day, 8,200 km unsupported ocean rowing expedition across the Indian Ocean, from Exmouth, Western Australia, to Mombasa, Kenya. This journey aims to set multiple world records and contribute valuable data to oceanographic research.
The Challenge
The Indian Ocean presents formidable challenges: unpredictable weather, powerful currents, and vast isolation. For the UNTAMED team, maintaining a reliable data stream throughout the voyage is crucial. The data collected will support oceanographic research, improve weather and ocean current models, and provide insights into the interplay between physical effort and environmental conditions during extreme ocean rowing.
Our Approach
HardwareX was tasked with developing a robust, low-power data logger capable of withstanding the harsh marine environment. The system needed to operate autonomously, capturing high-resolution data without manual intervention.
Design and Validation
The data logger is built around the ESP32-S3 Mini Dev Board, chosen for its processing capabilities and low power consumption. Key components include:
Adafruit Mini GPS PA1010D: Provides accurate positioning data.
Ultra-Low-Power Ultrasonic Wind Meter PRO: Measures wind speed and direction.
Adafruit TDK InvenSense ICM-20948 9-DoF IMU: Captures motion data, including tilt, rotation, and stroke patterns.
Waterproof 1-Wire DS18B20 Digital Temperature Sensor: Monitors environmental temperature.
Adafruit Monochrome 1.12" 128x128 OLED Graphic Display: Offers real-time data visualization.
Power is supplied by a 10,050mAh ICR18650 Li-Ion battery, managed by the Adafruit Universal USB/DC/Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer charger (BQ24074), ensuring efficient energy use and recharging capabilities.
Extensive validation was conducted to ensure system reliability. This included environmental stress testing, power consumption analysis, and data integrity checks. The system was subjected to simulations of the marine environment to verify its resilience and performance.
Deployment
With the system assembled and validated, it has been shipped and is ready for deployment. The data logger will operate continuously throughout the expedition, providing researchers with data on oceanic conditions and the physical demands of long-distance rowing.
Conclusion
The UNTAMED expedition represents a fusion of human endurance and technological innovation. HardwareX is proud to contribute to this mission, demonstrating the critical role of embedded systems in extreme environments.
For more information about the UNTAMED expedition, visit untamed.team.
