Unveil the Unseen

Remote Deployment Challenge to Uncover the Earth's Most Hidden Wonders with IoT

The Challenge

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This challenge is an invitation-only PRO member gig to create a unique custom reference design project that highlights the capabilities of this innovative hardware.

Join Hackster.io and Nordic Semiconductor to unveil the unseen: using IoT capabilities to unlock the Earth’s most hidden wonders.

In a world increasingly connected by technology, there are still vast, untamed places that remain shrouded in mystery. These remote corners of the Earth hold secrets waiting to be discovered, ecosystems to be understood, and opportunities for innovation to thrive. We invite you to be part of this engineering design challenge that goes beyond the ordinary: leveraging IoT (Internet of Things) capabilities to explore and illuminate the world’s remote and untouched locations.

This challenge invites our amazing PRO members to unlock the communications capabilities of Thingy:91 X, and develop IoT-powered solutions that enable the discovery, monitoring, and preservation of the wonderful places on Earth.

The Thingy:91 X’s support for cellular IoT, GNSS, Wi-Fi locationing, plus its seamless connectivity with Nordic nRF Cloud Location Services, makes it the perfect prototyping platform for allowing developers to balance location accuracy and power consumption. Soon, the nRF9151 SiP will support Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, a significant breakthrough in satellite communications. NTN enables IoT connectivity to reach even the most remote areas of the planet, unlocking new possibilities for global coverage.

Learn more about the hardware features here.

Challenge Objective

Your project should focus on at least one of the following objectives:

Exploration: Create tools or devices that help uncover and explore remote environments, such as mountain ranges, deep forests, deserts, or ocean depths.
Data Collection: Build systems capable of collecting and transmitting data in areas with little to no connectivity, helping scientists and researchers gain valuable insights into these environments.
Sustainability: Design solutions that monitor and protect the ecosystems, or applications such as animal or herd management in remote farming.

Proposal Requirements

Your proposal should include:

Region/Community Focus: Specify the region or community your project is addressing and describe your connection to it. Are you a resident, or are you a visiting innovator working closely with local stakeholders?
High-Level Technical Architecture: Outline the core technical design of your solution, including how it addresses the unique challenges of the target environment.
Use of Thingy:91 X Features: Detail how you plan to utilize the advanced features of the hardware, including its connectivity, sensors, and processing capabilities.
Peripheral Add-On Hardware: List any additional hardware or peripherals you intend to integrate with your solution.
Anticipated Obstacles: Identify potential challenges or obstacles you foresee during the implementation process and explain how you plan to overcome them.
Travel Plan: Describe how you travel (or plan to travel) to the proposed location for testing and implementation, ensuring feasibility and preparedness.

Contender Selection

This challenge emphasizes real-world impact, so submissions must go beyond benchtop prototypes and demonstrate readiness for field implementation. Collaborations with locals, ecologists, or scientists will strengthen a submission's case for selection.

Five Contender slots will be awarded on a rolling basis, with priority given to innovators committed to field test & deployment at the proposed location and have previous reference projects. Each contender will receive a Thingy:91 X to create a prototype solution. Each contender will include in the proposal a "project brief" that outlines specific development objectives, cost estimate, manpower estimate, and any a bill-of-materials. Upon accepting Contender's proposal, Hackster will issue a formal "SOW" to PRO as a binding contract.

Solution Requirements

Your solution need to include:

Comprehensive Documentation: Provide full documentation of your implementation process, including all testing and deployment pictures.
Bill of Materials (BOM): Include a detailed list of all components and materials used in your project.
Technical Explanation: Offer an in-depth explanation of the hardware and software developed, highlighting key features and innovations.
Future Plans: Outline your vision for scaling or further developing the solution to maximize its impact.