In the wave of the industrial revolution, humans began to seek more efficient ways to transform nature and meet the growing production needs. In the mid-19th century, with the invention and widespread application of steam engines, humans began to try to use mechanical power instead of manpower for excavation.

   In the following decades, with the advancement of the industrial revolution, steam power was used more and more widely in industrial production, which promoted the development of excavation machinery. Although these early machines were inefficient, they had laid the foundation for mechanized excavation.

   Entering the 20th century, the widespread use of electricity brought new impetus to the development of excavation machinery. The emergence of electric tunnel boring machines has made excavation work no longer limited by the limitations of steam power, and work efficiency has been significantly improved.

   In 1914, American inventor Herbert Hoover proposed a new tunnel excavation method-tunnel shield method, which used electric shield machines to greatly improve the speed and safety of tunnel construction.

   After World War II, with the acceleration of global infrastructure construction, the demand for tunnel boring machines increased sharply. During this period, more professional and efficient types of tunnel boring machines, such as shield machines and hard rock tunnel boring machines, emerged. These machines can cope with various complex geological conditions and meet the needs of different projects.

   In 1957, Germany successfully used a shield machine to complete the construction of a long-distance tunnel for the first time, which marked the mature application of shield machine technology in tunnel construction.

   With the rapid development of information technology and automation technology, tunnel boring machines began to develop in the direction of automation and intelligence at the end of the 20th century. Modern tunnel boring machines not only have a high degree of automation, but also can monitor the working status in real time and predict faults, greatly improving construction efficiency and safety.

   In the 2000s, unmanned shield machines were used in some tunnel projects in Europe and North America, marking that tunnel boring machine technology has entered a new stage.

   Entering the 21st century, with the increasing global attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, green buildings and green construction have become new trends in the industry. Therefore, modern tunnel boring machine designs pay more attention to energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection, such as the use of electric drives and optimized energy management.

   At the same time, in order to adapt to complex and changing geological conditions and improve construction efficiency, modern tunnel boring machines are also equipped with advanced geological detection and navigation systems, which can obtain underground information in real time and guide the construction process.

   With the continuous development of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, future tunnel boring machines are expected to achieve a higher level of intelligence and autonomy. For example, the construction path can be optimized through machine learning algorithms, and the equipment status can be monitored in real time through remote monitoring and diagnostic systems, thereby further improving construction efficiency and safety.