Simultaneously indulging the fantasies of Dr. Strangelove and the Soprintendenza, Andrew Evans wants to deploy a robot to cities devastated by an earthquake, whereupon this “burrowing robot negotiates through the unstable rubble and solid earth, creating an interred, inhabitable structure from recycled debris. The raw system left behind by the robot provides a basic framework for shelter, infrastructure, and structural stability in an upheaved landscape. The resultant system is a landscape of interconnected spaces ready for human colonization.”
But what of the ruined city above? Well, it becomes an archaeological site, finely reconfigured so as to generate billions in tourism revenues, rivaling the economic power of Pompeii and Luxor, while the Reinterred City below, presumably one of a few, itself will attract hordes of visitors.
Tunnel-Digging as a Hobby