A team at the Delft University of Technology, or TU Delft, in Netherlands has recently earned top scores from Elon Musk's highly influential SpaceX tech project, Hyperloop. The competition that was held last week at Hawthorne, Los Angeles, brought in thirty university students and research teams.
But only one team emerged with the highest scores. TU Delft has promised a thirty minute trip from Amsterdam to Paris and this can become a reality after their pod has passed through an array of technical testing.
TU Delft had to demonstrate their futuristic pod in Hyperloop's vacuumed tunnel, as reported by I Am Expat. The tunnel is based on Elon Musk's vision of a faster mode of transportation. He called it a fifth mode of transportation. In the Hyperloop tunnel, pods can rely on magnetic levitation or air pressure to float, using very little resistance.
Last year, teams competed for the best design. This year, the actual testing of the design happened. Which means for the past year, students sacrificed their weekends and off hours to create a pod that would one day transport subjects from point A to point B in less than half the time required.
TU Delft competed against prestigious tech schools such as MIT and other engineering institutions. After rigorous testing, only five teams passed the technical round when it came to safety and design. In the end, three teams competed for speed and total experience. But it was TU Delft that had the highest average score in both categories. However, the German WARR from the Technical University of Munich was the fastest in the speed category.
It could be possible that in 2018, Hyperloop transportation will be realized. Hyperloop engaged companies, such as Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, has already filed for construction permits in Quay Valley, California, as reported by CNBC.
Watch the exciting announcement of the scoring below:
