After many years of hype , the Hyperloop can often seem like it ’s stuck being a pipe pipe dream . But SpaceX’sHyperloop Pod Competitionthis weekend saw some peculiarly promising designs for the futurist high - speeding transportation organization .
Under the eager eye of SpaceX and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk , 27 teams of finalists from around the world meet to show off their design for a Hyperloop pod onsite at SpaceX ’s headquarters in Hawthorne , California . At this leg , many of the pods were sized - down image and not capable to comport rider .
However , three of these squad really contract to demonstrate their technological slug by launching their pods down the 1,250 - time ( 4,100 feet ) low - pressure tube test cartroad . Delft Hyperloopfrom the University of Technology Delft in the Netherlands , WARR Hyperloopteam from the Technical University of Munich in Germany , and theMIT Hyperloop teamfrom the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all take part .
SpaceX built this three an unspecified method of speedup that set up the pods up to 80 km per hour ( 50 miles per hour ) into metro that were depressured for over 30 transactions , concord toArs Technica . Once smash down the track , the pods vibrate just above the track using magnetic levitation to cut back friction .
you could see all three of the teams in action in the TV below .
Delft Hyperloop pocketed prize for the highest average speed and the gamy overall mark , as judged by a gaggle of SpaceX engineer . The most exciting ( in our impression ) laurels for profligate hurrying down the lowly - pressure thermionic tube was given to WARR Hyperloop team , who managed to strike 94 km per hour ( 58 miles per hour ) .
MIT also nabbed the prize for Safety and Reliability , as well as attest their pod was up to of static magnetic levitation . you could see this in their video below when the wheel stops rotate around the 18 - second chump .
One particularly cool little part of this rival was therLoop Team , an opened - source group that was spawned from the hivemind of Reddit , who strike home an Innovation Award for their pod purpose .
The Badgerloop team also won a pod invention award and even got the 6 - foot-2 - inch Musk to sit in their 4.5 - meter - long ( 15 feet ) , 950 - kilogram ( 2,100 pounds ) pod , which had been designed with that in mind .
“ We were all ecstatic to see Elon sit down in our seedcase , ” Badgerloop operations director Claire Holesovsky said ina program line . “He check out our seedpod ’s technology . It was a great highlight in an unbelievable week for the squad . ”
remain tuned , asHyperloop Pod Competition IIis coming this summertime .
Video : MIT Pod Run In A gloomy - Pressure Hyperloop Track
