Student Work

Digging trenches is a part of many construction projects, which can disrupt aspects of daily life on the surface. There are trenchless methods, but they require that the tunnel be completely or almost completely straight. The goal of this project was to design a machine capable of producing complex tunnels without the use of a trench. Early stages of design considered different alternatives for steering, anchoring, and boring. A prototype was constructed as a proof of kinematic concept with full electronic and computational systems onboard. Using the prototype, a report was generated detailing the improvements required for a high-budget and marketable iteration of the device. The prototype is not capable of travelling underground, but it provides proof that the designs are sound.

Creator

• Tweed, Christian
• Stevens, Benjamin G.
• Ringer-Silva, Tomas F.
• Gibbia, Thomas J.
• Howes, Spencer Garrison

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-051720-035546

Advisor

• Schaufeld, Jerome
• Radhakrishnan, Pradeep
• Gennert, Michael A.

Year

• 2020

Date created

• 2020-05-17

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Computer Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Interdisciplinary

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved

Relationships

In Collection:

• Major Qualifying Projects

Items

Thumbnail	Title	Date Uploaded	Visibility	Actions
	MOLE_MQP_Report_final.pdf	2020-08-22	Public	Press to Select an action Download