Self-penetrating soil exploration device and associated methods

1. An apparatus for maneuvering through soil comprising:

a substantially longitudinal body including a front end, said body being configured to impel itself through a medium comprising solid matter; and

a manipulable nose section comprising at least one of:

at least two members arranged radially on said front end, each member controllably protrudable in a substantially radial direction relative to said longitudinal body;

an off-center nose section rotatable about a longitudinal axis of said nose section and having a non-symmetrical cross section taken parallel to said longitudinal axis of said nose section,

a pivotable nose section;

wherein manipulating said nose section alters a direction of travel of said apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body comprises expandable bladders configured to assist in impelling said body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises at least two members arranged radially on said front end, said at least two members comprising at least three members.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises at least two members arranged radially on said front end, said at least two members comprising expandable bladders.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said manipulable nose section is rotatable.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises a pivotable nose section, said a pivotable nose section comprising a ball-and-socket joint.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises at least one joint configured to allow a first portion of said substantially longitudinal body to form a nonzero angle with respect to a second portion of said substantially longitudinal body.

8. An apparatus for maneuvering through a medium such as soil comprising:

a substantially longitudinal body;

at least two expandable portions of said body capable of engaging surrounding media;

a manipulable nose section;

a linear extender capable of extending and retracting said body and said nose section relative to each other in a longitudinal direction; and

wherein manipulating said manipulable nose section alters a direction of travel of said apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said expandable portions comprise expandable bladders.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises at least two members arranged radially on said front end, said at least two members comprising expandable bladders.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises a rotatable off-center nose section, said rotatable off-center nose section comprising a substantially conical member that is eccentric to said body.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said manipulable nose section comprises a pivotable nose section, said a pivotable nose section comprising a ball-and-socket joint.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises at least one joint configured to allow a first portion of said substantially longitudinal body to form a nonzero angle with respect to a second portion of said substantially longitudinal body.

14. An apparatus for maneuvering through soil comprising:

a substantially longitudinal body, said body including and being configured to impel itself using hydraulic cylinders through a medium comprising solid matter in substantially a direction parallel to said longitudinal body; and

a controllably manipulable nose section;

wherein controllably manipulating said controllably manipulable nose section alters a direction of travel of said apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said body comprises expandable bladders configured to assist in impelling said body.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said controllably manipulable nose section comprises a hydraulically controllably manipulable nose section.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said controllably manipulable nose section is controllably manipulable in a plurality of directions.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said controllably manipulable nose section is capable of rotating.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said controllably manipulable nose section is capable of being positioned at an off-center angle.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said controllably manipulable nose section comprises at least two protrudable members.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises a plurality of sections, at least one of said plurality of sections being capable of forming a nonzero angle with respect to another of said plurality of sections.

22. A method of maneuvering through soil comprising:

gripping an inside surface of a channel;

advancing at least a portion of a substantially longitudinal body through the channel in a first direction of travel, the first direction of travel being substantially parallel to the longitudinal body; and

manipulating a nose section, the nose section being operatively connected to a plurality of hydraulic cylinders that can each manipulate the orientation of the nose section, said manipulating comprising moving at least one of the plurality of hydraulic cylinders;

wherein said manipulating alters the first direction of travel to produce a second direction of travel that is eccentric to the first direction of travel.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said manipulating comprises hydraulically manipulating.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said manipulating comprises positioning said nose section off-center.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said manipulating comprises rotating.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein said manipulating comprises extending at least one member.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises a plurality of sections, at least one of said plurality of sections being capable of forming a nonzero angle with respect to another of said plurality of sections.

28. A method of maneuvering through soil comprising:

gripping an inside surface of a channel;

advancing at least a portion of a substantially longitudinal body through the channel in a first direction of travel, the first direction of travel being substantially parallel to said longitudinal body; and

controllably changing directional characteristics of a nose section by expanding bladders;

wherein said controllably changing alters the first direction of travel to produce a second direction of travel that is eccentric to the first direction of travel.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said controllably changing comprises positioning said nose section at a nonzero angle to said first direction of travel.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said controllably changing comprises rotating.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises a plurality of sections, at least one of said plurality of sections being capable of forming a nonzero angle with respect to another of said plurality of sections.

32. A method of altering a direction of travel of a mechanical burrowing device comprising:

providing a mechanical burrowing device having a longitudinal orientation and a radial orientation which impels itself through a medium using at least hydraulic cylinders disposed inside of a body of the device;

controllably manipulating a nose section of the mechanical burrowing device, said controllably manipulating comprising at least one of:

rotating the nose section;

positioning said rose section off-center from said longitudinal direction; and

extending at least one member radially from the nose section;

gripping an inside of a hole in which the mechanical burrowing device is disposed; and

expanding in a longitudinal direction at least a portion of the mechanical burrowing device;

wherein said controllably manipulating causes the mechanical burrowing device to alter a direction of travel.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said gripping comprises expanding a bladder.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said expanding comprises expanding using hydraulic force.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein said substantially longitudinal body comprises a plurality of sections, at least one of said plurality of sections being capable of angling with respect to another of said plurality of sections.