The Technical Tapirs are passionate about the ocean. All of the members surf and love the marine life, so the project was a natural fit. The TeTRS, or Technical Tapirs Radar System, is the result of collaboration with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the Anthropocene Institute and seeks to monitor and protect several MPAs around the Channel Islands.  

The overall project has three separate teams: structures, power, and software. The structures team, consisting of Austin Semmelroth and Tim de Visser, focused on designing a stable and mobile form factor. This included sourcing a collapsible tower, selecting a suitable utility trailer, and designing an outer enclosure and panel rack. The power team, consisting of Kevin Griffin and Shane Cuniff, was responsible for designing a solar power system and inner enclosure for the electronics. The software team, headed by Dylan Shackelford, developed additional functionality on top of the preexisting packages provided by the Anthropocene Institute. Additional features include a battery management system (via pseudo-PWM of the radar) and a separate webpage for the sponsoring organization.