RMIT students launch their Hyperloop pod design Thursday, 24 November 2016

A team of RMIT students have unveiled their pod prototype for Elon Musk’s SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition to be held in California early next year.

The VicHyper team is the only Australian team to make the final 30 for the competition out of the more than 1700 that entered.

“Imagine living in Melbourne and working in Sydney with only a 50 minute commute, or travelling to regional Australia within minutes. We are making it a reality,” said VicHyper Project Leader, Zac McClelland.

“At VicHyper, we are anticipating the transportation needs of tomorrow rather than reacting to the problems of today. Hyperloop will be the solution to connect us like never before."

The Hyperloop concept, devised by Musk, involves a pod travels within an elevated tube network held at a near vacuum utilising magnetic levitation and linear induction motors. Speeds of up to 1200 km/h are believed possible.

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President, Martin Bean, said the VicHyper team is a wonderful example of the power of collaborating across disciplines.

The team is made up of students with expertise spanning aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering, industrial design, communications and graphic design.

“As well as working across disciplines, collaboration with industry has been at the heart of the VicHyper project, with our students being generously guided and mentored by industry leaders and practitioners,” Martin said.

“By developing the very first Australian Hyperloop pod prototype, the VicHyper team is helping turn science fiction into science reality. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and I wish them every success.”

VicHyper won the Braking Subsystem Technical Excellence Award at the semi-finals SpaceX Pod Design Weekend in Texas in January this year.

They were also recently awarded the Highly Commended certificate at the #TechDiversity Awards by Victorian Minister of Small Business, Trade and Innovation, Philip Dalidakis, who attended the official unveiling of the prototype pod.

[The VicHyper team. Photo: RMIT]