Section · Team

A small team. A big hole.

Warwick Tunnelling is built around a lean leadership group, six engineering sub-teams, and faculty support from the University of Warwick's School of Engineering.

Sub-teams
06
Disciplines
Mech · EEE · CS
Faculty home
SoE Warwick
Recruitment
Open
01Leadership

Who runs the project.

Founder · Team Lead
Alex McGinn
Mechanical Engineering, University of Warwick. Founded Warwick Tunnelling in 2025. Seven years' CAD experience across 150+ projects, with prior team-lead work on robotics, CanSat, and instrument-making. Holds technical oversight across all subsystems.
Discipline: Mech Eng Year: 2024–27
Academic Supervisor
Nikos
Faculty supervisor for Warwick Tunnelling within the School of Engineering. Provides technical guidance, oversees finance and safety frameworks, and acts as the bridge between the team and the university's wider engineering programmes.
Department: School of Engineering
02Sub-teams

Six sub-teams. One machine.

01 / Mechanical Lead + members

Mechanical Design

Cutterhead, structural frame, thrust system, drive train. Responsible for the geometry and load-paths of the machine.

Fusion 360 FEA Manufacturing GD&T
Sub-team lead TBA
02 / Electrical Lead + members

Electrical & Controls

Motor drives, power distribution, PLC architecture, sensor integration, E-stop systems. The nervous system of the TBM.

PLC VFD Sensors Wiring schematics
Sub-team lead TBA
03 / Software Lead + members

Software & Telemetry

Operator interface, sensor logging, navigation algorithms, telemetry pipelines, control loops. Built to be legible under dig-day pressure.

Python C / C++ HMI Networking
Sub-team lead TBA
04 / Geotech Lead + members

Geotechnical

Soil characterisation, conditioning chemistry, muck handling, settlement modelling, support pressures. The interface between the machine and the ground.

Soil mechanics Conditioning Modelling
Sub-team lead TBA
05 / Operations Lead + members

Operations & Safety

Risk assessments, safety case, dig-site logistics, transport, on-site procedures. What stands between a working machine and a competition entry that's allowed to dig.

Risk assessment Logistics Procedures
Sub-team lead TBA
06 / Business Lead + members

Business & Outreach

Sponsorship, finance, communications, social, partnerships. The team that funds the machine and tells its story.

Sponsorship Finance Comms Design
Sub-team lead TBA
03Faculty & Institution

Backed by Warwick.

Warwick Tunnelling is part of the University of Warwick's student-led projects programme within the School of Engineering, alongside teams like Warwick Moto and Warwick Racing. We work under faculty supervision with access to the school's workshops, finance infrastructure, and engineering community.

04Recruitment

Want to dig with us?

We're looking for engineers, software developers, and project people across all years. The team is intentionally small — every member has scope to take real ownership.