Bangladeshi Microtunnel Boring Machine Gearing Up for Global Competition

Bangladeshi students continue to prove their capability in world-class technological innovations. Once again, ‘Bored Tunnelers,’ a team from Bangladesh, is set to showcase its excellence in the final round of Elon Musk’s “Not-A-Boring Competition,” to be held in Texas, USA, from March 27-29.

Carrying the red and green flag, the team has developed a Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM), which will be flown to the United States via the United Kingdom on March 23. Previously, the team participated in the competition and won the "Rookie Award."

The Not-A-Boring Competition is an annual event that brings together university students worldwide to develop innovative and cost-effective tunneling technologies. The goal is to reduce costs and improve efficiency in tunnel construction for applications in urban planning, transportation, infrastructure, defense, space exploration, and mineral extraction.

This year, 19 members of the 40-member Bored Tunnelers team will be in Texas to compete. The teams will demonstrate their expertise by excavating a 30-meter-long and 600-millimeter-wide tunnel using their custom-built MTBM. Their performance will be judged based on three key criteria: speed, accuracy, and technological innovation. Prior to the main competition, their machine will undergo testing and evaluation from March 24-26. Following the competition, cleanup will take place on March 30, and the final packing will be completed on April 1.

The Journey of Bored Tunnelers

Formed in 2023, Bored Tunnelers developed the Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM), a specialized device that integrates robotics, mechanical, electrical, civil, and computer engineering to efficiently excavate underground tunnels.

The team consists of students from several leading Bangladeshi universities, including Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), BRAC University, and World University of Bangladesh.

The initiative was spearheaded by Shah Asif Hafiz (IUB, Accounting), Dewan Md. Alif (IUB, Finance), and Rafid Rayan (Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Mechanical Engineering), along with students from various academic backgrounds.

To refine their technology, Bored Tunnelers has received technical assistance from the Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Center (BITAC), while Grameenphone has provided financial support. Other sponsors include Super Star Group, Robbins Edu, Spectrum, Mars Solutions, Innovetex, The Untitled Company, Cosmo Group, and the Ministry of Public Administration of Bangladesh.

The team is also guided by expert advisors, including Salman Promon (Graduate Teaching and Research Fellow, University of Houston), Md. Mamunur Rashid (Executive Engineer, BITAC), Md. Ashrafuzzaman (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration), and Ahsan Siddiqui (Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, MIST).

Bangladesh on the Global Engineering Stage

Sheikh Mohammad Shithil, President and Co-Founder of Bored Tunnelers, highlighted the team’s origins, stating, "Thirty talented engineers from Bangladesh’s top universities joined us, marking the beginning of our journey last year."

Imran Khan, Project Manager, emphasized the team’s diversity, stating, "Our strength lies in our versatility. We recruited members from the top 15 universities in Bangladesh."

Fahin Uddin Enan, Vice President and Co-Founder, recalled the initial challenges, saying, "Our first major hurdle was securing initial funding. Despite reaching out to several universities, obtaining financial support was extremely difficult."

Shahriar Iqbal Mahim, Vice President and Co-Founder, underscored the team’s accomplishment, stating, "TBM technology has very limited open-source resources. Despite this, out of 400 competitors, we were selected as the only team from Asia. We believe we can achieve something significant."

Reflecting on last year’s experience, Shah Asif Hafiz, a Bored Tunnelers team member and an Accounting student at IUB, shared, "In the previous competition, we presented our ideas in the United States and competed against institutions like the University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Tech, ETH Zurich, and the University of Texas. At that time, our machine was not fully developed, so we only showcased our concept. Still, we made it to the finals and won the Rookie Award. This year, we have significantly improved our machine, and we hope to execute it successfully in March."

Rafid Rayan, Media Analyst for the team, expressed his aspirations: "Over the past year, we have refined our tunneling machine with advanced technical expertise. Our goal is to establish Bangladesh as a hub for tunneling innovation and inspire more students to participate in global engineering challenges."

With their groundbreaking MTBM and a determined team, Bored Tunnelers is ready to represent Bangladesh on the world stage, pushing the boundaries of tunneling technology and innovation.