Talpa Tunneling

The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has presented the Talpa Tunnelling UPV project, a student team committed to the design and development of cutting-edge microtunnelling machines, which will compete as a finalist in the Not-a-Boring Competition 2026, organised by The Boring Company, the infrastructure company founded by Elon Musk.

This represents a major international milestone, as only eight university teams worldwide have been selected to participate in this competition, considered the greatest technical challenge for universities in the field of microtunnelling.

The event, presided over by the rector of the UPV, José E. Capilla, served to highlight a project within the UPV Design Factory, the university's pioneering programme that promotes hands-on learning through multidisciplinary student teams.

UPV Design Factory currently brings together more than 3,000 students across 65 teams, making it one of the largest university ecosystems for applied innovation.

Talpa Tunneling UPV will compete at the end of March 2026 in Bastrop (Texas), at The Boring Company's headquarters, alongside seven other university teams selected from around the world: UATXcavators, from the University of Austin (Texas); CU Hyperloop, from the University of Colorado Boulder; Smith Engineering Hyperloop, from Queen's University (Canada); The Diggeridoos, from Virginia Tech; Penn Hyperloop, from the University of Pennsylvania; Boring Illinois, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and Dig 'em Aggies, from Texas.

The competition brings these eight teams together for an on-site technical challenge lasting approximately eight days, during which excavation speed, technological innovation, and navigation accuracy are evaluated, with the emblematic goal of 'beat the snail'.

Capilla: 'Talpa Tunnelling is a clear example of what it means to study at the UPV: learning by doing, facing real challenges and working with a very high level of technical demand.'

During his speech, Rector José E. Capilla emphasised the strategic value of this type of initiative within the UPV's educational model, stating that 'Talpa Tunnelling is a clear example of what it means to study at the UPV: learning by doing, facing real challenges and working with a very high level of technical demand'.

In this regard, he pointed out that 'UPV Design Factory allows our students to transform academic knowledge into real solutions, capable of competing with the best university teams in the world.'

Capilla also acknowledged the team's role as representatives of the university beyond our borders, stating that 'these students are true ambassadors of the UPV brand worldwide; they represent the talent, innovative capacity and entrepreneurial spirit of our university', and concluded by wishing them 'all the luck in the world in this international competition, because they are already a source of pride for the UPV'.

Real engineering, real learning

Talpa Tunnelling UPV represents a complete system engineering exercise in a real-world environment, covering all phases of the development of a functional microtunnel boring machine: design, construction, integration, and validation of a prototype capable of autonomous excavation under strict technical constraints.

The prototype has a diameter of 0.6 metres, weighs approximately 1,500 kg and is designed for urban environments. Its objective is the autonomous excavation of a 30-metre-long tunnel, with a total power of around 60 kW. The cutting system achieves torques of over 4 kNm, allowing it to work on any type of terrain commonly found in competition. It also has a hydraulic system operating at 125 bar, generating a thrust force of around 45 kN, autonomous navigation based on LiDAR sensors, intelligent energy management, and a debris extraction system using a worm screw driven by an independent electric motor.

The structure is based on a modular S275 steel chassis, designed to withstand dynamic loads during excavation.

The team is organised into different departments — mechanics, electronics, and operations — which, in turn, are divided into specialised subsystems, replicating the structure of a real industrial project.

Innovation and international projection

Team captain Beatriz de Silva Espinar Hernández highlighted the innovative nature of the project and the significance of the classification obtained, noting that 'exactly one year ago this February, we began working on this project and wanted to show that in a sector as traditional as tunnel construction, there is still much room for innovation'. In this regard, she explained that 'we have focused on tunnel boring machines as the main focus for proposing faster, more accurate and safer methods.'

Beatriz de Silva also stressed that 'although we are young, we have achieved something that no Spanish team had ever achieved before: qualifying for a competition in which only eight teams from around the world participate,' adding that 'it has been a path full of difficulties, but also a unique opportunity to learn, grow as a team and apply everything we see at university to a real and ambitious project.'

The presence of Talpa Tunnelling UPV among the eight selected teams places the Universitat Politècnica de València within the international elite of university engineering, strengthening its position as a leading university in applied innovation, experiential training and talent transfer to the global arena.