Elon Musk from SpaceX wanted a revolutionary transportation system between cities, something which has never been tried before. However, his team of researchers did not have the time to perfect such a transport system. Elon Musk and his research team at SpaceX had in 2013 had first conceptualized the concept of Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system which connects cities with pods enclosed in low-pressure tubes which ride on an air cushion.
However Musk outsourced the concept and in June 2015, he floated the idea of competition to invite designs for the Hyperloop pod, targeted at university students as well as independent groups.
The design by a team of 25 MIT students has been chosen as the Best Overall Design award in the first stage of the SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod competition this weekend. The design was chosen over 120 other designs at the Design Weekend, held at Texas A&M University. The MIT-designed pod will shuttle between San Francisco and LA at incredible speeds shortly.
It was a big challenge considering the fact that the design team had nothing to start. However, the challenging engineering task to work on technologies that help shape the world for the better was too tantalizing for John Mayo G, project manager of the MIT Hyperloop Team.
Mayo took over 25 graduates and members from aeronautics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering sections.
The team also roped in several MBA students from Sloan business school to make it a complete team. Mayo egged all to put in 15 to 20 hours of work every week, and himself spent 25 hours a week on the Hyperloop.
The efforts bore fruit when the teams design outdid other participants and the smaller than the scale model of the design will be tested near the SpaceX headquarters in California.
