BURROW makes drilling underground utility lines less expensive, making them safer and less likely to spark a wildfire.
In partnership with...
This effort is part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)’s Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-Speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security (GOPHURRS) program and is partnered with Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering.
Key data:
- Aging power lines contribute to frequent and prolonged power outages, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $79 billion annually.
- BURROW can reduce traditional undergrounding costs by >50% while expediting installation.
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Vulnerable utility lines can be hazardous
In 2023, the Lahaina wildfire on Maui was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over 100 years. It was caused by aging, vulnerable overhead power lines, which failed in high winds. The tragedy emphasized the importance of upgrading America’s infrastructure, particularly through the process of undergrounding, or burying utility lines underground.
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Better drilling for safer outcomes
Undergrounding has always been a safer option for utilities, but it comes at a significantly higher price and longer time to install than traditional overhead lines.
BURROW (Borehole Underground Reconnaissance and Real-time Obstacle Wayfinder) aims to make resilient utility tunneling as cheap and fast as installing overhead power lines. BURROW is a novel undergrounding technology that optimizes the process of horizontal drilling for utilities.
BURROW utilizes Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) networked with AI-infused subterranean drill heads, enabling them to detect and avoid existing utilities, such as cables or pipes, in the tunneling path. The sensor suite will generate high-resolution data and real-time guidance for drilling paths.
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Why it matters
BURROW is a key innovation to modernize America’s power infrastructure using cost-effective and high-speed undergrounding technology.
BURROW drastically reduces the time and cost of horizontal directional drilling via look-ahead sensing that pairs UAVs with smart drill-heads and machine learning AI. It vastly improves the rate and accuracy of drilling while avoiding obstacles like existing pipes.
BURROW was developed to reduce undergrounding costs to match that of overhead lines.
By making it affordable, BURROW can accelerate the extension of fiber optics, water lines, and energy infrastructure to those with limited services.
