Burrowing Robot?

Regarding this project we are still in the project definition phase. Creating a burrowing robot is a very ambitious project, especially based on the limited time left I have in the lab before I graduate. At the same time, I believe that the current design feature of the robot designed for my first-author paper can be easily transitioned from 2D to 3D, allowing for the creation of a 3D peristalsis-capable centipede-inspired robot in a relatively short amount of time.
As the essential ingredient to burrowing for centipedes seems friction modulation and peristalsis, this new robot should have the potential to replicate burrowing behavior in order to locomote through sand-like or soil-like environments.