Warwick Boring: Q&A ahead of Elon Musk’s Not-a-Boring Competition
This year is going to be anything but dull for the team at Warwick Boring, as they have been selected as global finalists for the second competition round of Elon Musk's Not-a-Boring Competition.
Following the success of their first competition in Las Vegas, in which they placed fourth globally, the team, which Granger Reis has sponsored for two years, are confident of success in 2023.
As one of only six global finalists, placing them in the top 1%, the team will be competing against other universities such as TUM, ETH Zürich and CU Boulder.
The competition is due to take place in Austin, Texas, between March 27-April 3.
Senior Partner and Head of Infrastructure at GR, Craig Davidge, caught up with Eashana Chotai, Head of Business at Warwick Boring, to find out how they are preparing and what the competition means to them.
Craig Davidge (CD): First of all, huge congratulations on getting so far in the competition already. How does it feel to be through to this second stage as only one of six finalists?
Eashana Chotai (EC): Thank you. We are a group of 50+ students from the University of Warwick all dedicated to revolutionising the tunnelling industry by creating a cost effective, modular and easy to assemble tunnel boring machine. So, this is an incredible opportunity – and we aim to win!
CD: What were the core components of you getting through to this stage?
EC: The focus of this competition is to innovate, and I believe our team did that fearlessly. It was this that I believe made our team stand out. We have pushed the boundaries of conventional design and engineering and combined that with our passion for sustainability and efficiency.
CD: How does the competition work?
EC: There are six teams competing this year, we are the only university team from the UK but the pool of talent from the other chosen teams includes US universities and hobbyists from around the world.
During the competition week, we have a checklist for each of our subsystems that will be examined and scrutinised so we can receive clearance to launch the machine. The winning categories of the previous competition included the most innovative navigation system, the most innovative launch system and the best health and safety procedures, among a few others.
In addition, the winner is also determined on tunnel completion, which includes a solid tunnel lining. The prize last year consisted of a trophy, and we can expect a similar process for this year’s competition.
CD: Why is the competition important to the team?
EC: Not only is it an amazing opportunity to test our machine and technology, but we go through rigorous security checks completed by The Boring Company. It is also a unique opportunity to network with peers and professionals in the industry.
All in all, the experience is tremendously rewarding. We learn from other teams and advisors on how to improve our technology and ways of thinking. We are also rarely able to test the whole machine and problem solve on the fly all together as a whole team which this competition gives us the opportunity to do. And the entire experience strengthens our amazing team culture.
CD: How do you prepare for something of this scale?
EC: There is a lot that goes on before attending!
The Warwick Boring Team is split up into three different divisions: Business & Marketing; Logistics and Technology; then further broken down into sub-teams. On the Technology side, once the machine is assembled and various systems are tested, we need to anticipate potential areas of failure.
Following this the Business Team will assess our budget and costs and work with Logistics to try to source any spare parts we think we might need. Logistics will also be sourcing and organising the most cost-effective way to transport the machine to and from the competition.
Alongside this, Marketing is working on ensuring our publicity efforts, merchandise and posters and banners are all the best they can be to showcase the amazing support we have had from our sponsors.
Technology would be hard at work packing up the machine, securing it and ensuring that any tools and components that will be needed during the competition week are also packed.
In addition, we have lots of health and safety considerations that are ongoing so we need to ensure we all have the right protective equipment and can operate the machine safely. All the while in the background the Business Team are continuing their efforts to fundraise in order to pay for all of the costs of shipping, transport, team transport, visas, accommodation in Texas and the purchasing of any parts while we are out there.
CD: What else is happening in the Warwick Boring schedule this year?
EC: After the 2023 Not-a-Boring competition, we intend to further improve our Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) based on the feedback and knowledge exchange we will gain from the competition week; and to subsequently carry out a full system test of the upgraded machine, likely at our partner site in Norfolk, the Constructionarium.
Additionally, we will begin our yearly round of recruitment at the start of the academic year at Warwick, getting new talented students to join our team to bring fresh perspectives and ideas. We will then be planning our project timeline for further tech improvements, design changes and submissions for future competitions.
CD: And finally – if you got to meet Elon Musk, what would you ask him?
EC: On the first day of the 2021 Not-a-Boring competition, The Boring Company invited us to experience a drive through their ‘Vegas Loop’, an underground tunnel crossing the conference convention centre, with stations built at either end.
It was the first of many to come as part of Elon Musk’s vision of a 3D transport network of underground tunnels. So, one of the (many) questions we would like to ask if we were to meet him is: “When do you expect to achieve a city-wide implementation of a tunnelling network?”
CD: We hope you get to find out the answer to that question – and wish you all the very best of luck in the competition.
EC: Thanks Craig and thank you to Granger Reis for supporting the team. It means a huge amount and we will do our very best!
Click below to see the Warwick Boring team featured on BBC 1, Midlands in August 2021, prior to the first Not-A-Boring competition...
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