How Rugged Is Rugged?
Designing IoT Devices for the Real World
When most people hear “rugged device,” they picture a dusty construction site or a soldier’s tactical gear. And yes, dust, rain, and impacts are the obvious enemies. But the truth is, “rugged” means something very different depending on the environment and it’s not always outdoors.
From a mining operation 3,000 feet underground to a sterilized medical lab, rugged devices face unique hazards. Each environment demands a different set of design tradeoffs. Here’s a look at some of the realities we design for at Speed.
Outdoor Ruggedness: Surviving the Elements
Outdoor devices deal with a very physical, very messy world. Examples include:
Mining Equipment Sensors
Threats: Dust, abrasive particles, high vibration from heavy equipment, extreme temperatures, water ingress.
Design Considerations:
IP-rated enclosures (IP67/IP68) with gaskets to prevent dust and water intrusion.
Shock mounts and vibration-dampening hardware.
Temperature-tolerant electronics and power systems.
Materials resistant to corrosion and abrasion.
Agriculture & Environmental Monitoring
Threats: UV exposure, fluctuating humidity, pests, power instability.
Design Considerations:
UV-stabilized polymers.
Conformal coatings on PCBs to prevent moisture damage.
Energy harvesting or battery management for remote power reliability.
Indoor Ruggedness: The Hidden Challenges
Inside doesn’t mean safe. Many controlled environments are actually harsher in their own way.
Medical Devices in Hospitals
Threats:
Frequent cleaning with aggressive disinfectants.
Exposure to radiation (X-ray rooms, cancer treatment facilities).
Constant movement and drops from carts.
Design Considerations:
Chemical-resistant plastics and seals.
EMI shielding to protect sensitive electronics from interference.
Drop-tested enclosures and secure mounting points.
Industrial Manufacturing Lines
Threats: Oil mist, sharp metal debris, electromagnetic noise, mechanical shock.
Design Considerations:
IP ratings tuned for specific contaminants.
Reinforced cable strain relief and abrasion-resistant wiring.
Grounding and shielding strategies for electrical noise immunity.
The Ruggedness Balancing Act
Designing a rugged device isn’t about maxing out every rating, it’s about matching the protection level to the operational environment without overengineering and blowing up costs.
A mining sensor doesn’t need to survive hospital sterilization, and a surgical tool doesn’t need to withstand a week in a sandstorm. But both need carefully engineered housings, materials, and electronics to do their job reliably under their unique stresses.
How We Approach It at Speed
Our team combines industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics, and manufacturing readiness to create devices that aren’t just functional in theory but work in the real world. We’ve built:
Urethane-housed agricultural sensors driven into hard soil.
IoT-enabled wound care pumps resistant to moisture and cleaning chemicals.
Tactical and field-deployable devices for dust, water, and vibration extremes.
We design for the actual battlefield, operating theater, or job site your product will live in, not an idealized one.
Bottom line: “Rugged” is not one-size-fits-all. It’s a precise match between environmental threats and product resilience. Get that wrong, and your device fails early. Get it right, and it just works — whether that’s in a coal mine, a surgical suite, or anywhere in between.