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Rugged Computers are More than Just ‘Hard Shells’

Published

12 years ago

June 14, 2014

Comms Week

Jerker Hellström is the founder and CEO of Handheld

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First of all, let us distinguish between a “rugged” computer and a “ruggedized” computer (or tablet or smartphone).

A rugged computer is designed to operate reliably in very harsh environments and conditions. The term “ruggedized” gives the sense that fragile internal components have been somehow protected. Truly rugged devices are not simply wrapped in a tough shell.

Tough and durable mobile computers and smartphones are gaining in popularity – because the customers demand more durable products! – and there are actually some mainstream devices that could be described as ruggedized (and are often advertised as rugged). But they are not truly rugged.

They might be waterproof but lack other aspects of ruggedness, like the ability to withstand vibrations/shocks and function well in extreme temperatures.

Let us briefly recap the definition of ruggedness:

The devices should have passed some of the MIL-STD tests, i. e. the American military standard for equipment.

24 laboratory test methods ensure that the equipment can handle low pressure at high altitudes; exposure to high and low temperatures plus temperature shocks; rain; humidity; sand and dust exposure; leakage; shock and vibration.

• They must be highly rated on the ingress protection (IP) scale for protection against dust and liquids. The ratings are displayed as a 2 digit number.

The first digit reflects the level of protection against dust and the second digit reflects the level of protection against liquids (water). So an IP65 rating, for example, would ensure complete protection against dust and protection against water jets.

Now let us take a closer look on the tests carried out on rugged computers:

Drop and shock testing. This is one of the most important tests for rugged computers, simply because rugged computers are dropped all the time by workers in the logistics, forestry, public transportation, construction, mining, security and other industries where rugged computers are in high demand.

Drop a normal computer and you will easily break the display or the hard drive. Drop a rugged computer and nothing will happen – at least it is highly unlikely that the device will break if it has passed all the relevant tests.

All rugged mobile computers are tested to ensure they can survive falls as well as high-force impacts to the devices’ casings. Drop tests are certified by independent test laboratories and performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810G.

There are eight different procedures to choose from that each use different ways to cause shock or impact.

The “transit drop test” is the most cited. It requires items to survive a total of 26 drops from the height of 122 cm, on each face, edge and corner, onto a hard surface like concrete.

Liquid resistance testing. Mobile field computers are inevitably exposed to rain, spills and splashes. The second number of the IP code describes the liquid ingress protection, i.e. how well the unit is protected against water.

The scale ranges from dripping water to continuous immersion in water. Water resistance tests are often carried out by the manufacturers of rugged computers by exposing the computer to powerful water jets from many directions without harmful effects.

The test duration, water volume and water pressure varies depending on the rating. The water temperature is lower than the device.

Vibration testing. Ordinary mobile computers are sensitive to vibrations and are not built to handle vibrations. Hard drives disks are especially vulnerable when subjected to vibration. Rugged computers, however, must be able to handle vibrations since they are often used in vehicles that travel on bumpy and rough surfaces.

Vibration tests are performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810G. They are designed to determine if a device can withstand the vibrations it would be exposed to during its lifecycle.

The tests use laboratory shakers set to different levels to simulate being on a vehicle or carried by a person, with variations in the vibrations’ wave form, frequency and intensity depending on the type of device and the environment being simulated.

Sand and dust testing. A rugged computer must be able to keep out particles. Almost all field workers are exposed to dust and dirt at some point that would slow key functions and damage components if not protected.

The dust resistance procedure tests ingress of small dust particles. Flour and sand is projected onto the device at high wind speeds and high temperatures for several hours, rotating the device and varying the temperature and wind speed.

The blowing sand resistance procedure is basically the same as the dust test but the test is done in higher wind speed. The high end test simulates being near an aircraft.

Extreme temperature testing. Rugged mobile computers must be able to handle extreme temperatures and wild temperature swings.

For example, Handheld’s recently launched Nautiz X1 smartphone is designed to function well in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F).

High temperature and low temperature tests are conducted in accordance with MIL-STD-810G. When testing for operability during high temperatures, the devices exposed to high temperatures while it is turned off (storage), while being turned on used (operation), and how it works under operational temperatures after having been exposed to higher storage temperatures (tactical-standby to operational).

When testing for operability during low temperatures, again three procedures are carried out to determine how the device will behave in low temperatures. They are much the same as in the high temperatures tests, except being done in freezing conditions.

Humidity testing. In addition to liquid resistance testing for IP rating, many manufacturers of rugged mobile computers test their devices in highly humid conditions as a separate test that is defined by the MIL-STD-810G standard.

The computers are exposed to humidity well over 90 per cent for several days in tropical heat. Many of the same features that make mobile computers liquid resistant also help prevent damage from high humidity.

These are the most important tests. The next question is: how do manufacturers of rugged mobile computers actually make their devices touch enough to pass these tests?

§ As opposed to normal computers, most rugged computers have no moving parts inside, like fans or rotating hard drives. Instead of rotating hard drives, rugged computers have solid-state drives – drives without moving mechanical components that are more resistant to physical shock.
§ There are stiffeners inside a rugged computer, often made out of aluminium, to prevent inside components and boards from flexing during an impact. The outer shell (case) and bumpers are designed to absorb the energy from a drop to prevent internal damage.

§ The touchscreen of a normal smartphone or computer is basically glass (with some coating to make them sensitive to touch), whereas the displays of rugged computers use chemically strengthened glass to prevent against scratches and cracks. The displays can also be positioned lower than then surrounding case to decrease their vulnerability.

§ Display backlight is used to improve outdoor readability, even in direct sunlight.

§ Some rugged computers are fitted with internal heaters in order to operate successfully in very cold environments. The heater warms components to an acceptable operating level and eliminates condensation arising from temperature swings.

In short, every simple detail and small part is researched, developed and chosen to make the computer as rugged as possible.

So where does all this leave us? Well, it is important to know the ingress protection scale – the higher the numbers, the tougher the device, basically.
‘
‘ It is also instrumental to check that the unit has undergone MIL-STD tests – many devices boast good IP numbers but fail to inform customers that they have not gone through any MIL-STD tests (which basically makes them normal fragile computers that are somewhat dust and water resistant).

With a deeper understanding of the standards and the tests, it will be easier to choose the mobile rugged device that suits your unique needs.

And if you want a rugged computer – then do not buy a ruggedized computer. Rugged computers are built—inside and out—to be rugged. No fragile parts wrapped in a hard shell here.

Jerker Hellström, CEO, Handheld Group

Jerker Hellström is a pioneer and industry veteran in the mobile rugged computer industry. In both entrepreneurial and managerial positions, he has 25 years of experience from developing, designing, manufacturing and marketing rugged computers globally. See www.handheldgroup.com.

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Related Topics:Handheld Jerker Hellstrom

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Aba to Host MTN’s “The Gathering” with Pitchathon Offering ₦5 Million Prize Pool for Emerging Startup Founders

Published

1 hour ago

June 4, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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MTN’s Youth cultural and lifestyle event “The Gathering” will hold in Aba at the Prime Event Centre from June 14 to 15, 2026, with a high-stakes Pitchathon designed to spotlight and reward the most promising early-stage founders in the city, offering a total prize pool of ₦5 million.

Aba to Host MTN’s “The Gathering” with Pitchathon Offering ₦5 Million Prize Pool for Emerging Startup Founders

The competition will award ₦2.5 million to the winning startup, ₦1.5 million to the first runner-up, and ₦1 million to third place, giving young entrepreneurs not just funding, but a direct platform to validate their ideas in front of investors, consumers, and industry stakeholders.

The Aba Pitchathon follows a highly successful Lagos edition of The Gathering on 100, which took place at the National Stadium, Surulere, from April 22 to 26, where eight startups collectively received ₦45 million in seed funding after pitching solutions across fintech, healthtech, agritech, edtech, and creative technology.

At the Lagos edition, Hurpham Africa emerged as the overall winner with ₦15 million in funding support, followed by Coconoto Ltd with ₦10 million and Rava Send with ₦5 million. Five other startups – URI Social, Dulces Jams, Kindly Book, Africa Medical Marketplace, and MyFund – each received ₦3 million, alongside visibility and MTN business ecosystem support.

Organisers say the goal is to deepen access to opportunity across Nigeria by taking The Gathering on 100 beyond Lagos into high-potential commercial hubs like Aba, where entrepreneurship continues to thrive.

Registration is now open via The Gathering’s official website. Entrepreneurs, builders, and early-stage founders in Aba and surrounding cities are encouraged to apply for a chance to pitch live at the event.

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Meta Unveils AI-Powered Business Agent to Support Customer Engagement

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June 4, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Digital Encode Calls for Immediate Action as Cyber Threats Escalate Nationwide

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1 hour ago

June 4, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Digital Encode Limited, a leading information security and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) advisory firm, has issued an urgent cybersecurity advisory following a surge in security breaches affecting financial institutions, government agencies, fintechs, and other organizations across Nigeria.

Digital Encode

Cyber threat actors have recently exposed data purportedly from both private and public institutions in Nigeria, underscoring the growing need for stronger cybersecurity frameworks, proactive threat monitoring, and coordinated incident response measures.

But Digital Encode’s advisory highlights a troubling pattern: most recent cyber incidents are not driven by sophisticated zero-day exploits, but by preventable weaknesses in basic security configurations, credential management, and operational controls.

According to the advisory signed by Professor Obadare Adewale Peter, Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode Limited, attackers are increasingly exploiting misconfigured systems and publicly exposed assets, such as unsecured databases, open cloud storage buckets, leaked API keys, and critical servers exposed to the internet, many of which are easily discoverable through open repositories, cloud indexing tools, and even dark web marketplaces.

The advisory outlines critical areas of concern, including publicly accessible cloud storage exposing sensitive customer and operational data; hardcoded secrets in web and mobile applications, including API keys and tokens; leaked credentials in repositories and deployment artifacts; weak internal access controls and over-reliance on single authentication layers; exposure of administrative endpoints, API documentation, and development environments in production; uncontrolled use of Third-Party Hosting platforms such as Vercel, Netlify, and Render; poor token lifecycle management and weak authentication, inadequate vendor risk management and monitoring controls

Digital Encode noted that these vulnerabilities are widespread across organizations, particularly in financial institutions, payment service providers, Fintech companies and public sector platforms, where similar exposure patterns continue to recur.

Not a Technology Problem, But an Execution Gap

“Organizations affected in recent breaches were not compromised due to highly advanced attacks, but due to lapses in enforcing existing security controls, like, ensuring that no cloud resources linked to organizations whether AWS S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, or Firebase allow anonymous access, Verify that no cloud credentials or API tokens are exposed in public or private repositories, container registries or deployed applications, and all external and internal APIs must enforce authentication and authorization controls at all times” Prof. Obadare stated.

The advisory stresses that most of these risks can be mitigated with readily available tools and best practices, underscoring a critical gap between security policy and implementation.

Urgent Actions Recommended

Digital Encode has called on organizations to act immediately by conducting a comprehensive audit of all internet-facing assets, including third-party systems; revoking and rotating all exposed or potentially compromised credentials including passwords, API keys, and access tokens; reviewing historical logs to assess the extent of any prior exploitation; engaging vendors to address third-party security exposures; fixing identified misconfigurations and validating remediation efforts; strengthening monitoring, logging, and threat detection systems; and documenting remediation steps and residual risks for governance and compliance.

The firm also emphasized the need for improved visibility into shadow IT and unauthorized deployments tied to employees’ accounts, which increasingly serve as entry points for attackers.

Call for Proactive Security Posture

Digital Encode reiterated its commitment to supporting organizations through enterprise-wide security assessments and independent validation of implemented controls.

“We strongly advise that this advisory be actioned without delay,” Prof Obadare warned, adding that proactive security hygiene, not reactive response, will determine resilience in Nigeria’s evolving threat landscape.

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