It was not until the development of the hydraulic drifter in the 1950s that rock drilling truly entered the modern eradrifter for rock drill. This innovative tool used high-pressure hydraulic fluid to power a piston that rotated the drill bit, allowing for much greater penetration rates and precision. The hydraulic drifter quickly became the go-to tool for drilling holes in hard rock, paving the way for many of the major engineering projects of the time.