Europe's geothermal market has a new kid in the block with the advent of Swiss company Borobotics, which has launched an autonomous mini drilling machine as the 'world's most powerful worm'.
This 13.5 cm wide and 2.8 meters long tool that only takes up as little as a parking space is capable of empowering Europe with the mass adoption of geothermal energy, as the country seeks greener alternatives for electricity generation.
While deep drilling requiring large rigs is a costly affair, Borobotics' tool can hit a maximum depth of 500 m -- enough to meet the rising demand for geothermal heat pumps. A handy tool to install, its operation doesn't require manual support as it evaluates its moves while penetrating the ground. The tool is equipped with sensors that can detect obstacles such as water or methane, and seal the bore accordingly.
Borobotics came to being in 2023, and with its first funding, is planning to test the robot in real conditions.