Underground structure built with robots cuts time and costs

The latest demonstrator from startup hyperTunnel was built at the firm's R&D facility in the North Hampshire Downs. The approach is claimed to be friendlier to the environment and will use sustainable materials such as low-carbon concrete. It could also drastically improve safety in the tunnelling sector because no humans need to enter the structure during construction. A fleet of'hyperBot' robots enters the ground via an arch of high-density plastic pipes and, once inside, can 3D print the tunnel shell by deploying construction material directly into the ground. The 6m-long, 2m-high and 2m-wide Peak XV'pedestrian-scale' tunnel has been delivered as part of a project for Network Rail.