A group of students from the Technical University of Munich is currently working on a project with which they want to make it to California.
Tesla founder Elon Musik has announced a global competition.
It's about the fastest tunnel boring machine.
The students have already completed their prototype - now they need sponsors.
The American entrepreneur and Tesla founder Elon Musk has declared the global competition “Not-a-boring-competition”.
It's about building the fastest tunnel boring machine.
Students from the Technical University of Munich are also taking part - and are looking for sponsors so that they can travel to California for the competition.
The Technical University of Munich is known for innovative projects and clever minds.
After the great success of the Hyperloop - a high-speed traffic system that moves at more than 1,000 kilometers per hour - the next triumph could now follow.
60 students are currently working almost around the clock on a tunnel boring machine.
Your goal: You want to win the "Not-a-boring-competition", which the American entrepreneur and Tesla founder Elon Musk has announced worldwide.
“We live three-dimensionally.
Our houses are multi-story, our offices are tall, ”says Elias Schmid.
The 20-year-old is an aerospace engineering student from Munich and is one of the founding members of the group.
"So why not transfer that to traffic and move it underground?" There are already positive examples in Munich, such as the main line or parts of the Middle Ring, where it works well.
But more is possible, he believes.
No long traffic jams, no annoying red lights, no constant noise - this is how Munich could look in the future.
However, this requires a complex tunnel system that costs a lot of money.
Expect between 15 and 20 million euros - per kilometer.
For a route from Munich Central Station to the airport, that would be 600 million euros.
That is why the competition in California is so important for the student initiative of the TU Munich.
“We want to draw attention to the topic of tunnels and generate sponsors,” says Haokun Zheng from Munich.
The 19-year-old is part of the project management team and is studying computer science.
Exact prize money has not yet been announced.
The fastest tunnel boring machine wins
Elon Musk demands a tunnel boring machine from the international participants that can create a 30 meter long tunnel with a diameter of 50 centimeters - the fastest wins.
The competition should take place in spring.
The students are still in the planning phase.
Elias Schmid's brother Kilian had the first idea two years ago.
She was picked up in July by a team of ten interested parties.
Since then, the initiative has grown to include 60 students from over 16 different faculties and nations.
The average age is 23 years.
“What we have in common is that we do something practical in addition to our theoretical studies,” says Zheng.
The students exchange information regularly via video conference.
“It's a hobby, passion, work and fascination at the same time,” says Schmid about the project.
The prototype is already ready
The final machine is still in development, but the prototype is already finished.
A white, cylindrical, shoe box-sized block with the inscription "TUM-Boring - Innovation in tunneling", on one side a black attachment, on the other side a hole for the motor.
With the 30 kilo machine, the students have already mastered their first drillings in Elias Schmid's garden in the north of Munich.
The team is supported by the President of TUM, Professor Thomas Hofmann.
He is the patron.
Nevertheless, the students need sponsors so that they can fly to California with their aircraft (contact: team@tum-boring.com).
"It would be an honor to be able to take part in the competition," says Zheng.
