SpaceX hosted a hyperloop pod design competition last weekend held at its Hawthorne headquarters. Teams of students and independent engineering teams got the chance to test their designs in low-pressure environments in a test track constructed by SpaceX for the event, for the first time.
A total of 30 teams vied to have their pod designs run the track, however, only three of all the teams present were able to perform actual test runs. Each design had to pass through a number of tests such as structural integrity and vacuum chamber survivability in order to compete, according to Techcrunch. Additionally, the pods also had to pass if they are mechanically fit, functionality, navigational and braking systems.
The three teams that were able to make the cut were from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Delft University in the Netherlands, and Technical University of Munich, Germany, Los Angeles Times reported. Later reports said that UMD Loop, Virginia Tech and University of Washington's teams also qualified, however, they were not able to test their pods and compete due to lack of time.
Of the three teams that were allowed to test their pods and compete, Delft University in the Netherlands received the best overall score for Weekend I. The fastest run was awarded to Team Warr (pronounced "Varr), from the University of Munich. MIT got the prize for safety and reliability.
Another competition is scheduled in the summer for Weekend II, although no official date has been announced as of yet.
Hyperloop future transport
Elon Musk's 2013 idea became a milestone during the weekend and could spark greater interest in its potential to be the future of public transport in the future. The prospect of getting on a loop pod and traveling the entire length from Los Angeles to San Francisco in under thirty minutes is nothing to sneeze at.
It might still be a long way but last weekend's event showed that a great possibility exists. The video below demonstrates how the hyperloop should work.
