Sea turtles are ecologically important marine species whose movement and habitat use remain challenging to study due to their long migrations and life at sea. While telemetry devices have been deployed extensively to address this, they are often too expensive for large-scale monitoring. Arcturus Inc., in collaboration with Dakshin Foundation, initiated a project to circumvent this by developing a cost-effective GPS tracking tag using LoRa communication. This 5-month internship aimed to contribute to this project, specifically focussing on enhancing robustness, power efficiency, and data transmission. It involved refining existing firmware, running controlled experiments, and designing a new device. It also covered hardware elements like 3D modelling, silicone mould-making, and resin encapsulation.

Progress was made on all three objectives through casing design, firmware alterations for power efficiency, controlled assessments of radio transmission, and the design of a new PCB. However, due to hardware failures, unanticipated challenges, and time constraints, a fully field-deployable model was not achieved within the internship period. Nevertheless, the testing, refinements and upgrades undertaken contributed valuable groundwork for the ongoing development of a low-cost tracking device. Overall, the experience cultivated skills in coding, soldering, PCB design, 3D modelling, and experiment design, while contributing to an effort to develop accessible conservation technology.