Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The Swiss start-up Borobotics, a spin-off from Zurich University of Applied Sciences, has developed an autonomous drilling machine that promises to make geothermal energy for heat pumps cheaper and more accessible to everyone.
Heat pump installation
At a depth of 1,000 meters below the earth’s surface, the temperature remains constant at around 40°C. Thanks to this geothermal energy, heat pumps can provide heating already at lower depths. However, the approach has one drawback: The drilling of the well needs up to 1,800 liters of diesel, resulting in almost five tons of CO2 emissions. Also, drilling equipment is too large to use it in densely built-up areas.
The start-up Borobotics solves these problems. Switzerland may operate 450,000 heat pumps by 2035. To tap into this market, the young company, founded in 2023, has developed a special drilling machine that is much smaller and uses much less energy than current equipment.
Autonomous drill head
Its “The Grabowski” drill is only two meters high, compared to around six meters for conventional drills. Therefore, the Grabowski can drill holes for geothermal probes in city centers and basements, which were previously off-limits for drilling. A high degree of automation means less staff for a drilling operation, lowering the price.
The boring tool allows the robot to autonomously drill through different soil types, from clay to granite. According to the Swiss developers, the maximum drilling depth is around 250 meters, sufficient to exploit near-surface geothermal energy. The robot automatically detects the type of soil through its sensors in the drill head.
Grabowski can print a pipe using 3D printing to stabilize the borehole if the surrounding material is too soft. This support ensures stable drilling. If it encounters water or gas while drilling, the robot can detect this and seal the borehole to avoid any nasty surprises.
Much lower CO2 emissions
The electrically powered drilling robot works almost anywhere and only needs a standard household socket. Its carbon footprint is correspondingly small compared to diesel-powered drilling systems. With 288 kg of CO2 emissions per drilling operation, it produces 86% fewer emissions than conventional diesel-powered drills.
The start-up recently successfully closed a seed round of 1.3 million Swiss francs. This capital will enable the team to finish testing the second prototype and proceed to market. The start-up eyes this step for early 2026. In this way, Borobotics aims to lower the barriers to using geothermal energy in urban areas and contribute to the climate-friendly heating.
Text: Swiss.tech (Editing by SCCIJ)
