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Learn about the teams and individuals who are leading the way.

Meet The Team

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Taylor Ransford

Founder

  • LinkedIn
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Pranav
Veenam

Project & Software Lead

  • LinkedIn
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Sanchit
Tamboli

Logistics & Operations Lead

  • LinkedIn
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Austin
Koontz

Chief Engineer

  • LinkedIn
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Joseph
O'Such

Hardware Lead

  • LinkedIn
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Siddhartha
Das

Electronics lead

  • LinkedIn
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Joaquin Baquerizo

Co-Business Lead

  • LinkedIn
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Cynthia 
Wan

Co-Business Lead 

  • LinkedIn

 The Teams

Business

The business team handles all the communication and outreach activities of the team. This includes developing marketing campaigns, building brand awareness, performing website design, curating relationships with sponsors, raising funds to cover project expenses, and more. Although this team is not involved with the construction of the machine, they still are essential to the teams success.

Logistics

The logistics team coordinates with suppliers and manufacturers to acquire parts and has the responsibility of transporting the VT Boring Machine across the country. The team keeps costs down while obtaining quality parts and services to support the other sub-teams. This allows the Diggeridoos to run smoothly and achieve its goals.

Hardware

The mechanical team deals with everything that is not electrical in nature. That could be anything from the structure of the tunnel and TBM, to the hydraulics system, to the cutters on the mining face. The mechanical sub-team just like the other teams is multifaceted and has many responsibilities in different areas.

Electronics

The electronics team is the other engineering based team but focuses on everything electrical in nature. That could be anything from the gas sensors, to the GUI and code that run the machine, to the power that supplies all components. Being so broad allows for many people with different skills to work together in areas that they could excel at.

Software

The software team is responsible for the programming logic for the entire machine. The PLC code that the team writes monitors sensor data from electrical components placed on the machine and triggers safe states if they are outside a reasonable range. The team is also responsible for monitoring the TBM heading and location underground and ensuring it stays on the pre-programmed path using IMUs and GPSs in the system. All of this is done on a custom, in-house GUI which maintains constant communication with the PLC on the machine and relays telemetry data for review.

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