Thankfully, our planet has cooled off a bit since then.
Nevertheless, the Earth still radiates vast amounts of geothermal energy.
Or get robots to do the hard work for us.
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It could make geothermal a viable backyard energy source.
Sensors in Grabowskis head mean it can detect which punch in of material its boring through.
And unlike the diesel-powered drills typical to the industry, the machine plugs into a regular electrical socket.
However, Grabowskis humble frame has a few drawbacks.
The rig is less powerful than bigger rigs.
Its also slower and can only dig to a maximum depth of 500 metres.
But for Borobotics target market, thats more than adequate, it says.
Borobotics wants to tap theburgeoningdemand for geothermal heat pumps.
Under the right conditions, they double-up as air conditioning.
The advantages are obvious.
Heat pumps use electricity instead of fossil fuels to transfer heat or cold air.
They are up tothree timesmore efficient than the equivalent gas boiler.
If they plug into a renewable energy source, even better.
Thats despite geothermal heat pumps being more efficient because they rely on stablesubterraneanheat rather than fluctuating outdoor temperatures.
The minute that happens, the market is open.
Underground Ventures, based in Copenhagen, is the worlds first VC dedicated entirely to funding geothermal tech startups.
The firm led Borobotics CHF1.3mn (1.38mn)pre-seed funding round, announced this week.
Due to their small size,Boroboticssays its drill is very resource efficient to produce and maintain.
Whats more,Grabowskis autonomous capabilities, other than being cool, have a hidden advantage.
They set the drill in half a day and from then on it works autonomously.
Pill predicts that one or two people will be able to handle 10-13 drill sites simultaneously.
Given the EUschronic shortageof heat pump installers, an autonomous drilling robot may be a welcome helping hand.
Despite the apparent potential, its still early days for Borobotics.
Founded in 2023, the company is currently developing its first working prototype.
While US startups are leading the pack,Europe is well poised to compete.
The investor believes its only a matter of time before Europes investors and policymakers go all-in on geothermal tech.
Unlike natural gas and coal, it is fossil-free.
Unlike wind and solar, it is always-on.
And unlike nuclear energy, it is geopolitically benign, he says.
Story bySion Geschwindt
Sion is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy.
