The Boring Company Smashes Through Underground Automation Barrier
In a groundbreaking tunneling achievement, Elon Musk’s subterranean transit venture has shattered conventional construction paradigms. The Boring Company just announced a “major tunneling milestone” with its successful demonstration of continuous mining in a Zero-People-in-Tunnel (ZPIT) configuration. This technological leap enables their boring machine to simultaneously advance forward and construct tunnel rings without a single human operator underground—potentially revolutionising the entire underground construction industry.
Drawing parallels to SpaceX’s transformative work with reusable rockets, The Boring Company describes this ZPIT continuous mining approach as “the holy grail for Boring Machines.” Beyond removing humans from potentially hazardous underground environments, the company asserts this method delivers significant speed and cost advantages compared to traditional tunneling techniques. Each autonomously installed tunnel ring tips the scales at a massive 24,000 pounds, highlighting the remarkable sophistication of their robotic systems. Perhaps most satisfying for Musk himself is that the company’s tunneling speed now officially outpaces Gary the snail—a peculiarly specific benchmark that has featured prominently among Musk’s long-stated ambitions for the company’s boring technology.