NEW COMPETITIVE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, DE-FOA-0003047 (GOPHURRS) CONTROL NUMBER: 3047-1533. PROJECT TITLE: ''PERISTALTIC CONDUITS WITH STIFF SKELETONS AND COMPLIANT SKINS.'' THIS PROPOSAL WILL DEVELOP A BIO-INSPIRED, WORM-LIKE APPROACH TO UNDERGROUNDING. UNLIKE EXISTING DRILLING TOOLS, WORMS GENERATE FORCES BY EXPANDING OUTWARD AGAINST THE INTERIOR OF A BURROW. THUS, A BIO-INSPIRED BURROWING ROBOT DOES NOT REQUIRE A RIGID CONNECTION WITH THE SURFACE, AND THEREFORE CAN GENTLY AND FLEXIBLY PENETRATE SOILS WHERE CONVENTIONAL DRILLING IS NOT FEASIBLE DUE TO RISK OF DAMAGING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.