DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-DIGGING SOFT ROBOTICS USING LIQUID METAL SOLIDIFICATION MECHANISMS.THIS RESEARCH EFFORT WILL ADDRESS THE CREATION OF BIOLOGICALLY-INSPIRED DIGGING MECHANISMS. ONE APPLICATION FOR THIS WORK IS AGRICULTURAL SOIL SENSORS SPREAD ACROSS A FIELD, DIGGING INTO THE SOIL, AND THEN TRANSMITTING NUTRITION AND HYDRATION DATA BACK TO A CENTRALIZED DATA AGGREGATOR. THE SENSING AND DATA TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY EXISTS BUT NOT THE SELF DIGGING ASPECT.