diff --git a/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts b/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
index 57b2c09d3..ccaef4bbf 100644
--- a/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
+++ b/src/libs/actions/data-lake.ts
@@ -52,27 +52,102 @@ export const getDataLakeVariableData = (id: string): string | number | boolean |
   return dataLakeVariableData[id]
 }
 
-export const setDataLakeVariableData = (id: string, data: object | string | number | boolean): void => {
-  const newData = data
-  if (data === null) {
-    return
+/**
+ * The result of type-checking the incoming mavlink data
+ */
+interface TypeCheckResult {
+  /**
+   * 
+   */
+  type: 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean' | 'object'
+  /**
+   *
+   */
+  value: string | number | boolean | object | Array<string | number>
+}
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @param data
+ * @param id
+ */
+function determineTypeAndValue(
+  data: object | string | number | boolean | Array<string | number>,
+  id: string
+): TypeCheckResult | null {
+  const typeOfData = typeof data
+
+  if (typeOfData !== 'object') {
+    return {
+      type: typeOfData as 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean',
+      value: data,
+    }
   }
-  if (dataLakeVariableData[id] === undefined) {
-    console.trace(`Cockpit action variable with id '${id}' does not exist. Creating it.`)
-    const type_of_variable = typeof data
-    if (type_of_variable === 'object') {
-      // TODO: support strings
+
+  // Handle arrays and objects
+  if (Array.isArray(data)) {
+    if (data.length === 0) return null
+
+    if (typeof data[0] === 'string') {
+      return {
+        type: 'string',
+        value: data.join(''),
+      }
     }
-    if (type_of_variable !== 'string' && type_of_variable !== 'number') {
-      console.debug(`attempting to create a variable with type ${type_of_variable}. Skipping`)
-      return
+
+    if (typeof data[0] === 'number') {
+      // Handle array of numbers by creating individual variables
+      data.forEach((value, index) => {
+        setDataLakeVariableData(`${id}/${index}`, value)
+      })
+      return null
     }
-    createDataLakeVariable(new DataLakeVariable(id, id, typeof data))
   }
-  if (newData === undefined || typeof newData === 'object') {
+
+  // Handle objects with special properties
+  const objData = data as Record<string, unknown>
+
+  if ('type' in objData && 'value' in objData) {
+    return {
+      type: typeof objData.type as 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean',
+      value: objData.value as string | number | boolean,
+    }
+  }
+
+  if ('bits' in objData) {
+    return {
+      type: typeof objData.bits as 'string' | 'number' | 'boolean',
+      value: objData.bits as string | number | boolean,
+    }
+  }
+
+  return null
+}
+
+export const setDataLakeVariableData = (
+  id: string,
+  data: object | string | number | boolean | Array<string | number>
+): void => {
+  if (data === null) return
+
+  const typeCheckResult = determineTypeAndValue(data, id)
+  if (!typeCheckResult) return
+
+  const { type, value } = typeCheckResult
+
+  // Only proceed with string or number types
+  if (type !== 'string' && type !== 'number') {
+    console.debug(`attempting to create a variable with type ${type}. Skipping`)
     return
   }
-  dataLakeVariableData[id] = newData
+
+  // Create variable if it doesn't exist
+  if (dataLakeVariableData[id] === undefined) {
+    createDataLakeVariable(new DataLakeVariable(id, id, type))
+  }
+
+  // Update the value and notify listeners
+  dataLakeVariableData[id] = value
   notifyDataLakeVariableListeners(id)
 }