Lessons from Nature
The gopher’s front teeth are very large. Gophers use them to loosen dirt
and rocks as they dig. Unlike human teeth, these teeth never stop growing.
A pocket gopher’s claws are also very strong and sharp. They use powerful
muscles in their forearms to dig. Their back legs kick the dirt out of the way.
These traits make pocket gophers
efficient
digging machines.
Scientists are designing a drill that mimics pocket gophers. The drill
bit
is
driven by a small but powerful motor. The drill bit’s shape mimics a gopher’s
teeth and claws. Other drills need a separate machine to remove dirt. But this
gopher‑inspired drill collects the dirt as it spins. It then moves the dirt out of
the way. Scientists call this machine the Auto‑Gopher. In the future, they hope
to send it to Mars, Jupiter’s moon Europa, and Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
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Animal Tech
Pocket gophers dig systems of tunnels that cover
up to 2,000 square feet (186 square meters).
That’s about the size of a tennis court!
