The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

GE building worm-like robots to dig military tunnels

By Steve Crowe | May 21, 2020

GE worm-like robot

GE Research testing its worm-like robot at its lab in Niskayuna, N.Y. | Credit: GE

General Electric apparently has a thing for crawling, nature-inspired robots. It has already field-tested Sarcos Robotics’ snake-like Guardian S robot for maintenance applications. Now GE Research, the technology development arm of GE, is developing a worm-like robot that digs tunnels for military applications.

This is part of a 15-month, $2.5-million project through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Underminer program. The goal is to demonstrate the ability of a robot to “rapidly and efficiently bore tactical tunnels in support of critical military operations.”

GE hasn’t released a name yet for this soft robot, but clearly it’ll be named “Grabboid” or “Mega-Worm.”

The robot is based on an earthworm’s hydrostatic skeleton, which is a muscular structure filled with fluid. When worms move, some sections of their structure radially expand to enlarge the tunnel while anchoring the worm, while others become longer to create movement and penetrate further into the soil.

The robot uses artificial muscles that move in a similar fashion to a worm. The robot is capable of adaptively changing its gait depending on soil conditions. And it can create tunnels without having to bring any material to the surface, giving it advantages of efficiency and stealth.

The GE Research team already has designed a prototype and performed some initial lab scale demonstrations of the robot tunneling through dirt. The goal of the project is to demonstrate a robot that can move at a speed of 10 cm/sec and dig a tunnel that is 500 meters in length and at least 10 cm in diameter. You can see the robot in action in the video below, which runs at 4X the actual speed.

“It turns out earthworms are probably the most prolific tunnel makers on the planet,” said project leader Deepak Trivedi. “We have designed a prototype that is several feet long, with hydraulic artificial muscles that mimics the agility of earthworms moving through soil and with the force of tree roots penetrating through soft rock.”

Underground autonomy a challenge

One of the main challenges of building the robot, Trivedi said, is enabling it to autonomously navigate its way around obstacles underground without the benefit of GPS.

“Because these tunneling systems are underground, we need to be able to build in autonomous and sensing capabilities that enable our robot to move and tunnel in the right places,” he said. “Fortunately, we’re able to pull in controls, AI and sensing experts from across the lab to help us integrate these new capabilities.”

“The soft robot design we’re creating will have many more degrees of freedom in movement than conventional robots with joints, Trivedi said. “One of the reasons, octopuses, for example, can squeeze through such small spaces is that they have no bones. The same thing applies for soft robots, which can be very advantageous when you want to reach small places like the inside of a jet engine or power turbine to inspect and make intricate repairs.”

About The Author

Steve Crowe

Steve Crowe is Executive Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media, and chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo and RoboBusiness. He is also co-host of The Robot Report Podcast, the top-rated podcast for the robotics industry. He joined WTWH Media in January 2018 after spending four-plus years as Managing Editor of Robotics Trends Media. He can be reached at scrowe@wtwhmedia.com

Comments

  1. William K. says

    May 27, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    It is interesting to speculate as to what the military would be doing with such a robot worm. Chasing after drug-smuggler tunnels is one thought, although through a 10cm tunnel they could only deliver high explosives or poison gas. Actually, filling a tunnel with acetylene and then detonating it would certainly aid in finding the ends easily. And it might collapse the whole tunnel at once.

    Reply

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

A robot arm in a manufacturing center with white illustrations on top.
U.S. Air Force gives additional funding to Palladyne AI
A Gecko crawler robot inspecting the side of a missile silo.
Gecko Robotics reaches unicorn status with latest funding
The Tready mobile robot shown here uses HEBI Robotics' modular approach to actuation.
HEBI Robotics gets SBIR grant to develop hardware for hazardous environments
The saildrone surveyor in the ocean.
Saildrone, Meta complete robotic deep-water cable route survey

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
  • Modular motors and gearboxes make product development simple
The Robot Report
  • Automated Warehouse
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe