The Hyperloop

[Bob Wallace]

The idea of shooting capsules full of people through tubes at up to 760 mile an hour sounds kind of science-fictiony but some people are taking it seriously.

The idea of going from LA to SF in a half hour for a few dollars sounds great.

Here's a interesting short news piece with a good video on what's happening...

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/12/17/la-to-san-fran-in-5-minutes-hyperloop-ceo-says-speed-tube-could-become-reality/

About 2500 miles from SF to NYC.  Under four hours.  All (renewable) electricity. 

Might need a potty stop along the way.  Or they might have Red Eye - Iron Bladder runs late at night. 

[johnm33]

I saw a fantasy drawing of something similar 20 odd years ago, not a tube but a semi-circle with brake rails either side, solar panels on top making hydrogen from water which was then sucked into the 'flying train' through the roof fuelling the rocket engines that drove it. So it would fly guided by and 'stuck' to the roof of the track. Seemed almost feasible even then.

[Bob Wallace]

Here's a short article with a purposed routing for connecting the US with the Hyperloop.

"While his plan envisions making luxury pods available, Ahlborn said the estimated ticket price for economy-class seats would be about $20 to $30. But he said rides would ideally be free -- perhaps supported by ads, to take advantage of time spent with a captive audience of travelers."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/19/hyperloop-10-years_n_6357430.html

And if you want to dive into the details the project just put up this 76 page report....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mjh1if4ap98kdt0/Crowdstorm.pdf?dl=0

[Sigmetnow]

Another recent article.  The video dates from when Musk released his drawings, but is a fun discussion -- including the Popular Mechanics cover from the 1940’s.

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/hyperloop-may-become-crowdsourced-reality-within-decade-n272116

[Sigmetnow]

Billionaire Elon Musk says he'll build a five-mile Hyperloop test track, "most likely in Texas," that companies and students can use to try out pod designs for the tube-based rapid transit system he proposed.
...
People could compete, say, who could make the pod go the fastest, and maybe compete on other dimensions," Musk said. "I think that could be pretty fun."

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/elon-musk-boosts-hyperloop-talk-texas-test-track-n286981

[Sigmetnow]

California Test Track For Elon Musk's Hyperloop To Be Built

Construction of a full-scale system covering the 400 miles between San Francisco and Los Angeles would cost around $8 billion, Navigant estimates--assuming the cost of track and pods don't increase.

That's substantially less than the $67.6 billion price tag estimated for California's planned high-speed rail system by the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

However, the $8 billion figure doesn't factor in development costs--which could be quite high.

https://www.yahoo.com/autos/s/california-test-track-elon-musks-hyperloop-built-110000281.html

[Sigmetnow]

The CEO of the company building the Hyperloop test track says, "It won't be 'weird'" -- and tickets could be free.

Hyperloop has moved closer to reality after inking a deal this week with landowners in California's Quay Valley to build an 8 kilometer test track for the project, which it expects to "break ground" in 2016.

The system would be a number of passenger capsules that would be propelled by magnets at a speed of 750 mph or close to the speed of sound.

"The next phase now is to use this 8 kilometer track which is not about speed, it's about optimizing all these systems - passenger boarding, capsule handling - once we have done that we can go and start building the first multibillion-dollar track which is full length," Ahlborn told CNBC in a TV interview.
...

"When we think about video games, they are free and are making more money (than ever before) through upsales in-game."

"We are thinking about tickets and whether this is the right way to make money," he added, saying that fares could be free during off-peak times and very low-cost during peak time.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102714163

[Sigmetnow]

New comparison of hyperloop to other travel modes.  And a fun little video.

This chart shows how the Hyperloop could destroy all other forms of transportation
http://www.businessinsider.com/hyperloop-destroys-other-forms-of-transportation-2015-6

[Sigmetnow]

"Pod Race" competition.    (ref:  Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace)

Elon Musk's SpaceX Plans Hyperloop Pod Races at California HQ in 2016
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/elon-musks-spacex-plans-hyperloop-pod-races-california-hq-2016-n375386

[Sigmetnow]

Here's what the Hyperloop could look like.

Still, there's no getting around the fact that this new mode of transport would involve passengers sitting in a windowless tube.

So, as a solution, the Hyperloop would have digital wall screens, called "Tripscenes," that could show images of the ocean or of pastures, as well as travel information.

"These screens have several different images displayed, in sync with travel, to help users forget the fact they are traveling in a windowless tube. Tripscenes can include clouds, pastures, even outer space and underwater scenes," the paper said.

http://www.readability.com/m?url=http://www.cnbc.com/id/102770242

[Sigmetnow]

@TAMUEngineering: New details released on @SpaceX @Hyperloop pod competition. http://t.co/YhY2xaQycc http://t.co/z1HD9l8gGD
https://twitter.com/tamuengineering/status/634405227584745472

SpaceX Design Weekend at Texas A&M University
January 15-16, 2016 | Memorial Student Center | Texas A&M Campus
Some of the best and brightest engineering minds from around the country and globe will be coming to Texas A&M University for the Design Weekend on Jan. 15-16, part of the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. Their pod designs will be evaluated for the final competition weekend scheduled for June 2016 in Hawthorne, California.

http://engineering.tamu.edu/hyperloop

THE OFFICIAL SPACEX HYPERLOOP POD COMPETITION

Since we first unveiled the idea for a new high-speed ground transport system called the Hyperloop back in 2013, there has been a tremendous amount of interest in the concept. We are excited that a handful of private companies have chosen to pursue this effort.

Neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk is affiliated with any Hyperloop companies. While we are not developing a commercial Hyperloop ourselves, we are interested in helping to accelerate development of a functional Hyperloop prototype.

For this reason, SpaceX is announcing an open competition, geared towards university students and independent engineering teams, to design and build the best Hyperloop pod. To support this competition, SpaceX will construct a one-mile test track adjacent to our Hawthorne, California headquarters. Teams will be able to test their human-scale pods during a competition weekend at the track, currently targeted for June 2016. The knowledge gained here will continue to be open-sourced.

Break a pod!

http://www.spacex.com/hyperloop

[Sigmetnow]

So Elon Musk's Hyperloop is Actually Getting Kinda Serious

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced today that it has signed agreements to work with Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum and global engineering design firm Aecom. The two companies will lend their expertise in exchange for stock options in the company, joining the army of engineers from the likes of Boeing and SpaceX already lending their time to the effort.

“It’s a validation of the fact that our model works,” says Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. “It’s the next step."

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/elon-musk-hyperloop-project-is-getting-kinda-serious/

[Sigmetnow]

19-second video at the link:

@HyperloopTech: Levitation Test Rig now operational. Can test speeds >700mph at pressures below 100pa. Building #hyperloop technology http://t.co/2XpPdqZCoH

https://twitter.com/hyperlooptech/status/634795143548153856

[Sigmetnow]

New: experienced CEO brought on board; and talk of moving things, not just people.  "Revolutionize the supply chain."

Hyperloop Technologies hires Cisco veteran Rob Lloyd as CEO [Video]
http://electrek.co/2015/09/16/hyperloop-technologies-hires-cisco-veteran-rob-lloyd-as-ceo-video/

[Sigmetnow]

Elon Musk just said building the Hyperloop is 'really not that hard'
http://www.techinsider.io/elon-musk-cnn-interview-on-hyperloop-2015-9

[Sigmetnow]

SpaceX goes ahead with its Hyperloop prototype for its “pod competition”. The company released the revised specifications of the test track... in which the competing teams will race their pods. The track will be 1-mile long , have a 6-ft diameter and be capable of creating a 99.8% vacuum environment.

http://electrek.co/2015/11/26/spacex-goes-ahead-with-its-hyperloop-prototype-building-a-1-mile-long-99-8-vacuum-tube-by-summer-2016/

[Sigmetnow]

@HyperloopTech: Production underway for our Full Scale / Full Speed prototype, 3+km of 3.3m dia tube.    #SteelisReal https://t.co/UcEuNEnZ5X

https://twitter.com/hyperlooptech/status/672829418855727104

[Sigmetnow]

2016 will be a defining year for the Hyperloop

“We’ll be moving our first test system 400 miles per hour and all of that test system comes together in 2016 as we prove our own Kitty Hawk moment in moving this capability as an architecture at 700 miles per hour for a couple miles.”

Hyperloop Technologies announced Lloyd, a former Cisco executive, would be joining the company in September. The company also revealed at the time that it was working to close an $80 million round of funding.

Lloyd told CNBC that he expects to have the round of funding complete by the end of this year.

Assuming the company closes the round, the company plans to complete construction of its Hyperloop test track by the end of 2016 or in early 2017.

http://www.techinsider.io/hyperloop-technologies-ceo-rob-lloyd-says-hyperloop-becomes-a-reality-in-2016-2015-11

[Sigmetnow]

Hyperloop is building an open-air test track in the same industrial complex as Faraday Future's just-announced $1billion EV factory.

A new Elon Musk brainchild is coming to Nevada: Hyperloop.

A year after Tesla chose Northern Nevada for the site of its $5 billion gigafactory, Hyperloop Technologies Inc. will be opening up shop at Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas. Equipment is expected to begin shipping this month, and tests could begin as early as the first quarter of 2016. The Los Angeles-based Hyperloop Technologies is one of two startups racing to bring Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s conceptual design for high-speed, solar-powered travel in aluminium pods through an almost frictionless tube.

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/dec/08/hyperloop-test-track-to-come-to-north-las-vegas/

[Sigmetnow]

Over 1,000 college students will compete to design the best Hyperloop pod
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/15/10232526/hyperloop-university-design-competition-spacex-elon-musk

[Sigmetnow]

Tests will allow engineers to finally address questions that have lingered since Musk first proposed the Hyperloop--including how passengers will cope with the immense acceleration, deceleration, and cornering forces of a machine that Musk has said can reach speeds up to 800 mph.

HTT's own research indicates a Hyperloop capsule will pull 1.5 g in a 15-mile turning radius.

That's "quite a lot," noted Craig Hodgetts, chief architect of the project and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He said HTT also doesn't see any practical way to "slow capsules down to any degree in order to maneuver," meaning there will have to be a "very sophisticated analysis of speed, route, and sensation."
...
And if HTT builds a full-scale Hyperloop in the future, it probably won't be in the U.S. At least, not at first.

The first "full-length track" will be in "Asia, the Middle East, India, or Africa," said HTT founder and CEO Dirk Ahlborn.

He cited greater need due to lack of existing transportation infrastructure in those regions as the main reason.

It will also likely be easier to secure land and unwavering government support--two things that are often hard to come by for transportation projects in the U.S.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1101952_test-track-for-elon-musks-hyperloop-to-start-construction-this-year

[Sigmetnow]

The company building Elon Musk's 740mph train just filed for a building permit in California

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, the company taking the lead on turning Hyperloop into a reality, told CNBC that it has filed for a construction permit to build a five mile track in Quay Valley, California.

"We are announcing the filing of the first building permit to Kings County to the building of the first full-scale hyperloop, not a test track," Bibop Gresta, the COO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, said during an interview at Davos on Thursday.

Construction is set to begin in the second quarter of 2016 and Hyperloop could open in 2018 to the public.

"In 36 months we will have the first passenger in the first full-scale hyperloop," said Gresta.

http://www.businessinsider.com/hyperloop-applies-for-building-permit-2016-1

[Sigmetnow]

Elon Musk on the Hyperloop: “I’m starting to think this is really going to happen.” – MIT and Reddit won the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition
http://electrek.co/2016/02/01/hyperloop-mit-reddit-pod-competition/

In the video in the above link, Elon appears to be wearing the same outfit he wore at a recent Model X gathering in France, where he said he'd had one hour of sleep in the last 48....

Here's an article on the Reddit hyperloop design:
http://electrek.co/2016/01/29/reddit-hyperloop-pod-design-spacex/

[Sigmetnow]

“This is real. This is happening.” – Hyperloop Tech CTO pitches the system at the World Government Summit [Video]

Hyperloop Tech now needs to convince decision makers that the system is real and a viable choice when considering to establish a high-speed transit system, which is why Bambrogan went to the summit to talk to government officials.

The CTO said that the company is working on both above ground and under water solutions. The system will work in a low-pressure environment, not a complete vacuum, and the pods will travel without contact using a levitation system.

http://electrek.co/2016/02/09/hyperloop-tech-cto-world-government-summit-video/

[Sigmetnow]

Good to know other countries see the potential of this idea!

HTT and Slovakian government are exploring a Hyperloop route between Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), not to be confused with Hyperloop Technologies (HT), announced today that the company has reached an agreement with the Slovakian government to explore potential routes for a hyperloop which could connect to Austria and Hungary.

http://electrek.co/2016/03/10/htt-slovakian-gov-hyperloop-route/

[Sigmetnow]

Reddit’s Hyperloop team is raising money to build its pod prototype for the SpaceX competition

After SpaceX announced the Hyperloop Pod Competition last year, hundreds of teams submitted design packages, 124 teams passed the screening round and moved forward to the ‘Design Weekend’, where a panel of judges consisting of Tesla and SpaceX engineers selected 23 winners.

The winning teams shared ~$250,000 in cash to help them build their pod prototypes for the final phase of the competition which will take the form of a race on SpaceX’s upcoming test track, but most teams are also courting sponsors since the cost of a pod prototype is estimated to be well into the 5 figures.

rLoop, a crowdsourced team born out of Reddit, was among the winners of the Design Weekend and is now the only non-student team that will participate in the race this summer. Keeping up with the crowdsourcing theme, rLoop started a crowdfunding campaign to fund its own prototype.

The team raised almost 25% of its $60,000 flexible goal during the first day of the month-long campaign.

The bulk of the cost, an estimated 60.3%, will be put toward the levitation and propulsion system, which will be powered by Arx Pax’s Magnetic Field Architecture.

rLoop has some pretty cool perks available for its backers. There’s the usual stickers and t-shirts, but also a levitating miniature version of the rPod, which can include the chance to name the pod itself or the passenger dummy for a premium.

http://electrek.co/2016/03/08/reddit-hyperloop-team-pod-prototype-spacex/

Go directly to the Indiegogo site here:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-build-rloop-s-pod-for-spacex-hyperloop-comp#/

[Sigmetnow]

Video:  Discussing (and showing) the progress towards a scale hyperloop this spring, a full-size test hyperloop this year -- and potential benefits for the future (eliminating some dirty seaports and warehousing, reclaiming land, making new places from "nowhere").

Hyperloop technologies (HT) co-founders Shervin Pishevar and Brogan BamBrogan were at the Launch Festival last week and sat down with Jason Calacanis to discuss the latest progress in making Elon Musk’s fifth mode of transportation a reality.

http://electrek.co/2016/03/14/images-hyperloop-test-track/

[Sigmetnow]

‘Hyperloop One Global Challenge’ launches to develop the world’s first hyperloop networks

Hyperloop Tech, one of the main companies developing hyperloop technologies and now renamed “Hyperloop One”, launched today the ‘Hyperloop One Global Challenge’ to find the locations, develop and construct the world’s first hyperloop networks.

The challenge invites teams from anywhere on Earth to put forward a comprehensive package for commercial, transport, economic, and policy case for their cities, regions, or countries to be considered to host the first hyperloop networks.

The goal is to get people, all levels of government and investors involved in the project to facilitate the implementation of the new mode of transport, while Hyperloop One would take care of the technical side of the hyperloop system.

http://electrek.co/2016/05/10/hyperloop-one-global-challenge-worlds-first-hyperloop-networks/


The company tweeted:
"The #Hyperloop experience is on-demand, like an elevator, just push the button and the vehicle arrives, and then ding, you're there."
"It will be the most comfortable thing you've ever ridden on... Child, dog, and grandma friendly."
"Our systems use less power, create less pollution, take up less land, and make less noise..."
https://twitter.com/hyperloopone/status/730187929608298496

[Sigmetnow]

Hyperloop One unveils and tests its propulsion technology in Las vegas - video
http://electrek.co/2016/05/11/hyperloop-one-propulsion-technology-video/

[Sigmetnow]

25-second video at the link.

@HyperloopOne:  Not going to let a little thing like nighttime slow us down! Installed lights on our LeTourneaus. Wait, our what?!
https://twitter.com/hyperloopone/status/734414387708989440

[Sigmetnow]

Plans underway to create a "Baltic Super Region" between Sweden, Finland and Estonia-- using the Hyperloop.

Short video:

[Sigmetnow]

Hyperloop Wars? The Pressure to Reach 700 mph Sparks Fierce Rivalry

The ultra-high-speed mass transit brainchild of Tesla boss Elon Musk has created a hotbed of competitive rivalry with major stakeholders swapping criticisms at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia.

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/hyperloop-wars-pressure-reach-700-mph-sparks-fierce-rivalry-n594201

Edit: another article has video conversations with the two Hyperloop companies CEOs:
A rivalry is born out of the race to create the first Hyperloop
http://electrek.co/2016/06/17/rivalry-race-to-create-first-hyperloop/

[Sigmetnow]

Images of some of the pods being built for the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition.

THE HYPERLOOP COMPETITION: Here are the transportation pods of the future being built right now

This summer, teams from around the world will test their designs for a pod that could one day travel at speeds upwards of 760 miles per hour.

The SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, which kicked off in June 2015, will culminate in Competition Weekend at the SpaceX test track in Hawthorne, Calif. The exact date of the final round of the competition hasn't been announced, which means the teams remaining in the competition have to be ready to compete at any point this summer (although a leaked email from SpaceX pins the competition date sometime in August).

http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-hyperloop-pods-could-one-day-look-like-2016-6

[Sigmetnow]

Moscow group signs Hyperloop study deal for transport around Russian capital and new Silk Road to the Pacific
http://electrek.co/2016/06/21/moscow-signs-hyperloop-study-deal-for-transport-around-russian-capital-and-to-the-pacific/

[Sigmetnow]

Russia could get Hyperloop pilot project going by the end of the year, says Moscow Deputy Mayor
http://electrek.co/2016/07/04/hyperloop-russia-pilot-project-2016-december/

[Sigmetnow]

WE RAN THE NUMBERS ON A EUROPEAN HYPERLOOP — AND THEY LOOK FANTASTIC

The study projects that a completed system would quickly begin generating a surplus over operational costs and a capital surplus as well within 10 years once you factor in the wider economic benefits to the region. The project pegs the value of time saved over existing transport modes at 321 million euros a year. Greater Stockholm is growing at 30,000 people a year and has a serious housing crunch with a 13-year waiting list for a rental apartment. Sweden has announced plans to to add 210,000 new commuter homes, which could to be built around a new Hyperloop station in a less-expensive site well beyond current city limits. With Hyperloop, residents of these new locations wouldn’t spend hours a day commuting, they’d be in Central Stockholm in less than 8 minutes. Engineers who live in Salo, Finland (home of thousands of talented tech workers idled by Microsoft’s closure of its Nokia business) can now access good-paying engineering jobs in either Helsinki or Stockholm.

https://hyperloop-one.com/blog/FS-Links-Hyperloop-One-Baltic-Sweden-Finland-Aland-Islands

[Sigmetnow]

Oh, dear.

Engineering team turns on Hyperloop One in a lawsuit full of allegations of cronyism, nepotism and a death threat

Hyperloop One, the company arguably making the most progress with already a full-scale test track under construction (pictured above) and several deals to develop routes, is now under scrutiny after one of the co-founders left and is now suing the company along with other executives.

http://electrek.co/2016/07/12/hyperloop-one-lawsuit-death-threat-cronyism/

[crandles]

Oh, dear.

Engineering team turns on Hyperloop One in a lawsuit full of allegations of cronyism, nepotism and a death threat

What a 'stunt' to try to pull,  stock options that the company has

the power to unilaterally repurchase shares that employees received upon their exercise of options, at a price equal to the lower of:
(a) the fair market value at the time of repurchase; or (b) the exercise price paid by the employee at the time of exercise.

Yes, your contract of employment gives you stock options to x% of the company, (but don't mention that those options have terms that make them worthless). Employer and employee can agree to any terms they agree on so nothing illegal with just this. However, this is bound, when they find out, to make those employees feel conned and almost guarantees a situation like this with those (former) employees threatening or actually taking legal action.

If that was all, you could almost admire the balls of the employer to carry it out assuming they could reasonably be expected to be able to settle it reasonably amicably for less than the true value of the stock options had they been on normal terms.

However, it appears there is video evidence of intimidation with leaving a noose on a key employee's chair. That seems like it is just stupidly asking for punitive damages against you given the likelihood of such legal action that the management would just have to know about. So this seems extremely weird to say the least.

Cronyism, nepotism, hmm. Suspect there are worse examples around. It is hard to build a case for oppression of minority interest, so frequently these are settled for a fraction of value claimed. With only hearing one side, it is hard to know whether this being hyped up to build a case for oppression of minority interest or genuine major problems with management of the company. If there is clear evidence of that noose, that would seem likely to have strong persuasive power.

Just my thoughts on reading the lawsuit and of course it is dangerous to draw conclusions when you have only heard one side.

[Sigmetnow]

Hyperloop One inks a deal for potential first ‘Hyperloop cargo offloader’ in Dubai’s port

Dubai is continuously showing interest in hyperloop systems and today, they interest manifested by inking a deal between Hyperloop One, the main company developing a hyperloop system, and DP World, one of the world’s biggest marine port operator, in order to evaluate and develop a potential ‘Hyperloop cargo offloader’ at Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali.

The concept ... is fairly simple: create a hyperloop system between a marine port and what would become an inland container port in order to free up valuable portside real estate and reduce cargo traffic in the region.

https://electrek.co/2016/08/16/hyperloop-one-dubai-underwater-hyperloop-network-port/

[Sigmetnow]

Hyperloop size compared to other modes of transportation.

HyperloopOne:  Context & perspective for you as we continue to make #DevLoopProgress at our test site in North Las Vegas #hyperloop
https://mobile.twitter.com/HyperloopOne/status/773553014611193856 

[mati]

I am a crowdfunder of the rloop prototype hyperloop capsule... here is their current status:

http://us12.campaign-archive1.com/?u=131680a7fd56be89b79329f9b&id=1eb705e093&e=7610370c1c

http://rloop.org/

[Sigmetnow]

I am a crowdfunder of the rloop prototype hyperloop capsule... here is their current status:

...

Hey, so am I! 

[mati]

I am a crowdfunder of the rloop prototype hyperloop capsule... here is their current status:

...

Hey, so am I! 

can't wait to see it in action

[Sigmetnow]

I am a crowdfunder of the rloop prototype hyperloop capsule... here is their current status:

...

Hey, so am I! 

can't wait to see it in action

So cool that it is an international cooperative which came together "virtually" on Reddit, and is showing significant progress.

[Sigmetnow]

SpaceX’s 1-mile Hyperloop test track is now up along its HQ and Tesla’s Design Studio
https://electrek.co/2016/10/06/spacex-hyperloop-test-track-is-up-hawthorne/

[Sigmetnow]

HyperloopOne:  New arrival at our #Metalworks facility! This massive pump will allow us to pull down and run full-scale tests in near vacuum at #DevLoop
https://twitter.com/hyperloopone/status/786238932346212352

Scale:  The Leybold WH7000 booster pumps have DN320 inlet flanges (320 mm).

More photos at the link.

[Sigmetnow]

Dubai’s port funds Hyperloop One with $50 million to make hyperloop a reality

Now today DP World announced that it is investing $50 million in Hyperloop One to help the company complete its full-scale test track in Nevada and bring the concept one step closer to the first commercial system.

https://electrek.co/2016/10/13/dubais-port-funds-hyperloop-one-with-50-million-to-make-hyperloop-a-reality/

[mati]

RLOOP wins dubai award

BuildEarthLive Award

A team of 12 rLoopers participated in a 48 hour design competition hosted by BuildEarthLive which pitted an assortment of renowned Architecture, Transportation, and Engineering firms, as well as University teams, in a race against time. The goal? To design an effective Hyperloop infrastructure and route connecting three terminals - Dubai International Airport, Fujairah International Airport on the Gulf of Oman, and Jebel Ali Al Maktoum International Airport. The rLoop route would shorten travel times from over 2 hours to just 10 minutes via the Hyperloop. The rLoop team was the only team that was neither corporate nor university, being the world’s first crowdsourced engineering team.

A panel of expert judges had chosen 65 teams to compete in the semi-finals from an initial pool of over 250 entrants. The panel includes specialists from architecture, construction, and the Hyperloop, representatives from local and international government entities, and representatives of government and private-sector institutions in Dubai and the UAE, the US, and the UK. The rLoop team for this competition included professionals from around the globe including Canada, the United States, Nigeria, the UK, Romania, and Hong Kong.

The rLoop Team took home the "Hyperloop Design, Drama, and Excitement Award" after presenting their concept in Dubai. The success of the crowdsourced engineering team over the internet in Dubai marks the increasing maturity of a new paradigm: rLoop is showing that research, development, and technology can be designed and created in an entirely new way, and the result is the design award victory as seen in Dubai.

[Sigmetnow]

Here are some of the Hyperloop pods to compete on SpaceX’s 1-mile Hyperloop test track

About 2 dozen teams of students and engineers are creating hyperloop pods to compete and try to achieve the greatest speed and control on the 1-mile track for the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition. As we reported earlier this month, the track is quickly taking shape in front of SpaceX’s HQ in Hawthorne, so we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the pods that will compete on it.

The tube of the test track is 6-ft in diameter so the pods are not full-scale and they can’t fit a passenger or much cargo, but the goal of the competition is to develop propulsion systems and overall pod designs.

https://electrek.co/2016/10/21/hyperloop-pods-compete-spacex-competition/

[Sigmetnow]

At the link: a few photos of Hyperloop One track-building progress in the Nevada Desert:

https://twitter.com/hyperloopone/status/793113529096122368