The Machine
Small machine. Championship dig.
Built end-to-end by Virginia Tech students for the Not-a-Boring Competition, our TBM is tuned for one thing: boring a precise tunnel as fast and cheaply as physics allows.
Specifications
The numbers
Every figure animates as it enters view — the way an engineering reveal should feel.
Total Dug
Our leading bore length
Peak Force
Puts a Boeing 737 to shame
Max Cutterhead RPM
Drive-motor output speed
Cost per Mile
Target operating cost
Advance Rate
Sustained boring speed
Machine Weight
Fully assembled
Bore Diameter
Finished tunnel diameter
Our History
From scratch to world champions
A short timeline of how the Diggeridoos went from an idea to a title.
- 2026
NABC World Champions
Took first place at 2026's Not-a-Boring Competition — the team's first world title, years in the making.
The Champions - 2025
Carrying the Spark & Innovation
Among seven teams selected for 2025's Not-a-Boring Competition, we solidified our position as the best team in the nation and second overall while receiving the Best Innovation award.
The Innovators - 2024
Our First Dig, + An American Victory
Among five teams selected for 2024's Not-a-Boring Competition, we became the first U.S. team to successfully dig. With this historic achievement, our team secured #1 in North America and #2 globally.
The Nationals - 2023
Returning Even Stronger
Among six teams invited back for 2023's Not-a-Boring Competition, we refined our design and further built the foundation for an exceptional team.
The Trail Blazers - 2021
Our First Not-a-Boring Competition
Selected as one of 12 finalists out of nearly 400 international applicants, our first TBM was awarded the world's Fastest Launch Design.
The First Class - 2020
Team Founded, Bore Initialized
A handful of Hokies set out to build a micro tunnel boring machine from scratch.
Gallery
In the shop and the field
Build progress, design work, and competition day.
