If you’ve been wandering around Necluda lately, you’ve probably seen that windmill-topped building sitting precariously on a cliff. That’s the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Most players just call it the Purah Pad research lab because, let's be honest, that’s where the magic happens for your Sheikah-derived tech. You show up, talk to Symin or Robbie, and suddenly your map isn't just a hunk of stone anymore. It’s a literal lifeline.
It’s weirdly cozy in there. Books everywhere. Glowing blue tubes. It feels like a place where someone hasn't slept in three days, which, knowing Purah’s work ethic, is probably true. But getting there is only half the battle. If you aren't utilizing the specific upgrades offered at this facility, you’re basically playing the game with one hand tied behind your back.
What Actually Happens at the Purah Pad Research Lab?
Robbie is the eccentric genius here. He’s obsessed with the Purah Pad. While the initial device you get from Zelda is functional, it’s basically a prototype until you hit the lab. You’re looking for three main things: the Sensor, the Hero’s Path, and the Travel Medallion. Without these, finding those last few shrines or remembering where you died to a Lynel becomes a nightmare.
The sensor is the big one. It beeps. Constantly. Some people hate it, but if you're hunting for Hearty Durians or specific ores, it's a godsend. You have to take a picture of the object first. Then, the lab software "learns" the signature. It’s basically 10,000-year-old facial recognition for mushrooms.
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You need to complete the "Hateno Village Research Lab" questline to unlock the full potential of the gear. This isn't just flavor text. Robbie won't even look at your Pad until you’ve helped him with his specific eccentricities. It’s a bit of a grind, sure, but the payoff is the Travel Medallion. Imagine being able to drop a teleport point anywhere. Just anywhere. It changes how you approach Ganon’s castle or those high-altitude peaks in Hebra.
Why Symin and Robbie are the Real MVPs
Symin usually handles the Compendium. You can buy pictures from him if you're too lazy to snap them yourself. Honestly, I do this for the rare bosses. Who has time to take a well-framed photo of a Gleeok while it’s breathing literal thunder at your face? Not me.
Robbie focuses on the hardware. He’s the one who actually tinkers with the circuitry. The dynamic between them is great—one is a meticulous record-keeper, the other is a mad scientist who probably drinks too much caffeine. They represent the two halves of what the Purah Pad research lab is trying to accomplish: documenting the world and conquering it.
The Sensor Plus Upgrade: More Than Just Shrines
Standard sensors only find Shrines of Light. That’s fine for the first twenty hours. But then you realize you need 50 Blue Lizalfos tails for armor upgrades. That is when the Sensor Plus becomes your best friend.
Go to the lab. Talk to Robbie. He’ll ask for some materials—usually involving some Sheikah tech or specific monster parts you've scavenged. Once he flips the switch, you can set your sensor to track anything in your Compendium.
Tracking treasure chests is a game-changer. You’d be surprised how many metallic boxes are buried just under the dirt in Hyrule. I spent four hours just following the "ping" through the Faron Woods and ended up with enough arrows to start a small war. It’s addictive. You start hearing the beep in your sleep.
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- Shrine Sensor: Default. Essential.
- Sensor +: Tracks anything you've photographed.
- Hero's Path: Shows the last 256 hours of your journey.
- Travel Medallion: Creates a custom fast-travel point.
Hero’s Path: Seeing Where You’ve Failed
I love the Hero’s Path. It’s a feature of the Purah Pad research lab that feels like a post-game autopsy. You open your map, toggle the mode, and see a green line tracing every single step you’ve taken.
It’s sobering. You see the exact spot where you fell off a mountain because your stamina ran out. You see the zig-zagging lines where you got lost in a forest for thirty minutes. More importantly, you see the blank spots. The parts of the map you haven't touched. That’s where the secrets are.
If you see a massive empty patch in the Akkala Highlands, go there. The Hero’s Path doesn’t lie. It’s the ultimate tool for completionists. Most people forget to go back to the lab to unlock it, but it’s arguably the most powerful navigational tool in Link's arsenal.
Solving the Travel Medallion Puzzle
The Travel Medallion isn't just handed to you. You have to earn it. Robbie mentions he left the prototype in a chest way up north, usually in the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab (his old stomping grounds).
Once you retrieve it, bring it back to the Purah Pad research lab. He’ll initialize it. At first, you only get one. But if you've mapped out enough of Hyrule—literally just by walking around and activating towers—he can upgrade it to hold up to three different locations.
Think about the utility here. You put one at the top of a sky island for easy gliding. You put another next to a rare ore vein that resets every Blood Moon. The third goes right outside a shop you visit frequently. It breaks the game’s economy in the best way possible.
Technical Nuances of the Research Lab Gear
People think the Purah Pad is magic. It’s not. In the game’s lore, it’s highly advanced circuitry using "blue flame" energy and refined materials. That's why Robbie always asks for specific parts like Ancient Screws or Gears.
The lab itself acts as a massive signal booster. Notice the antennas? They aren't for show. They allow the Pad to sync with the various towers scattered across the landscape. If the towers are the cell service, the Purah Pad research lab is the ISP upgrading your bandwidth.
I’ve seen players ignore the lab entirely. They get the basic Pad and just run off to fight monsters. They’re miserable. They spend hours looking for materials that the Sensor + would have found in five minutes. Don’t be that person. Spend the time to do the side quests. Talk to the NPCs. Read the diaries left on the desks—they actually give hints about where to find rare materials.
Practical Steps for Maximum Lab Efficiency
Stop treating the lab like a one-time visit. It’s a hub you should return to every time you hit a milestone.
First, prioritize the Sensor +. It is the foundation of every other upgrade because it allows you to find the materials needed for those upgrades. It’s a recursive loop. You use the sensor to find the parts to make the sensor better.
Second, fill your Compendium constantly. Every time you see a new bird, a new rock, or a new sword, take a photo. Even if it’s a bad photo. Symin doesn't care about composition; he just needs the data. A full Compendium means a more powerful Purah Pad.
Third, use the Travel Medallion for farming. Don't waste it on cities that already have shrines. Place it in "dead zones" where there are no nearby fast-travel points but plenty of resources. The ruins in the south are a great example.
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Lastly, pay attention to Robbie’s dialogue. He’s annoying, sure. He does a weird dance. But he tells you exactly what you need to do to unlock the next tier of tech. If he says he needs more map data, go find another tower. If he needs more monster data, go kill something scary. The Purah Pad research lab is the only place in Hyrule where your curiosity is directly rewarded with tangible, high-tech power-ups. Go there. Upgrade your gear. Make the game easier for yourself.