We're Virginia Tech students who design and build autonomous tunnel boring machines. They dig faster, straighter and cheaper, and ours just won the world title.
By the numbers
Engineered to win
The headline specs behind a championship machine. We're very "boring."
Total Dug
An All-Time National Record
Peak Force
Puts a Boeing 737 to shame
Max Cutterhead RPM
Drive-motor output speed
Bore Diameter
Finished tunnel diameter
Our Mission
Reinventing how the world moves underground
The Diggeridoos are developing a revolutionary way of reinventing travel infrastructure through the design, analysis, and manufacturing of an innovative micro tunneling machine.
Tunneling machines have hit a stagnation point in their development over the years. We set out to revitalize innovation in the industry by making micro tunneling faster, cheaper, and more efficient.
The Machine
A tunnel boring machine, reimagined by students
Every subsystem (mechanical, electrical, software and autonomy) is designed, fabricated and tested in-house. The result is a compact TBM that punches far above its weight class.
See the full breakdownCustom Cutterhead
A purpose-built cutting face and thrust assembly, engineered to chew through Virginia and Texas clay without stalling.
160,000 lbs
Peak Force
High-Density Power
A compact electrical system delivers sustained torque without overheating downhole.
Real-Time Telemetry
Our control GUI streams every sensor live, so operators steer with confidence.
Autonomous Guidance
Path correction and a stewart platform keep the bore dead straight, automatically.
Gallery
See it in motion
The team, the machine, and competition day.
Methodology
How we build a champion
A disciplined, review-driven process takes the machine from a blank page to the winner's circle.
Research & Requirements
We study the competition rules, the geology, and last year's lessons to set hard requirements before a single part is drawn.
Design & Review
Every subsystem iteration is thoroughly analyzed and simulated, then reviewed by fellow team members and industry mentors in formal design reviews.
Fabrication
We weld, CAD model, wire and program the machine in our team-managed lab, owning the manufacturing process end to end.
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Back a world champion team. Every dollar goes into the machine and the engineers building it.
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Latest
Straight from the feed
What we've been posting from the shop, the pit, and campus.
@diggeridoos
