A hyperloop is train that travels through a vacuum tube to transport people or goods. The idea was presented by Elon Musk in 2012 and has since been picked up and further developed by several universities.
What is a hyperloop?
The hyperloop train travels through a low-pressure tunnel. Due to the low air pressure in the tunnel, there is less air friction, allowing the hyperloop to reach speeds of up to 1,200 km per hour! This will soon allow you to travel from Rotterdam to Paris in 30 minutes.
When Elon Musk first presented the hyperloop in 2012, the design was not yet realistic to implement in practice. There were still many technical problems to solve. To speed up development, Elon Musk devised the Hyperloop Pod Competition: he challenged engineers, companies and students to create a design for the hyperloop. A student team from Delft University of Technology, Delft Hyperloop (now: Hardt Hyperloop), won second prize in this competition.
Collaboration with Hardt Hyperloop
The hyperloop in the Future Mobility Park is a project of Hardt Hyperloop: a company founded in 2016 by a team of students at TU Delft. Hardt Hyperloop is currently working with the municipality of Rotterdam to further develop the hyperloop and find a location for an initial route in Rotterdam.
What will happen next with the hyperloop?
At the Future Mobility Park, we are building an experience center for the hyperloop. The goal: to see how we can put this ultramodern mode of transport into practice. Among other things, we are going to test how we can use autonomous shuttles to transport people to the hyperloop boarding point.
Start project:
End project:
What did we learn:
Besides new vehicles we aim to optimise safety for whatever vehicle is already on the road. AI camera's can be of benefit here, we will check to what level and what retrofit regulations must be met or changed in order to make trucks and busses more safe
The ELMO remote controlled car has been introduced and we will support the testing to prepare for approval on the public road.
The RET will select an automated vehicle for deployment at the airport, we host the testing of the vehicle at smart intersections before driving on the public road.
As one of the first major cities, a self-driving minibus, the HagaShuttle was driving in The Hague. The shuttle drove from a nearby bus stop to the main entrance of the HagaZiekenhuis. It was taken out of service when the new houses and entryroad was finished and a new approval was required.
Future Mobility Park
Test, Learn, Develop
