6 ms·

University Students Made a Working Model Hyperloop

40 points by miralabs 11y ago

sneak 11y ago
No they did not. The defining features of the hyperloop are air bearings and a partially evacuated tube. This has neither.
- akhilcacharya 11y ago
  That's exactly what I was thinking. This appears more like a generic maglev system - except in a tube.
  - cma 11y ago
    How so? It uses wheels.
  - walshemj 11y ago
    Pipeline transport has been around for ages at my first job BHRA we had a real small scale test rig I was offered math modelling or working on that department. I didn't fancy crawling 1/4 a mile down a tube to unstick the pigs (with a one tone load) when they got stuck. Ps Elon if your reading this I am sure that my old Boss at BHRA can put in touch with the research we did back then
- mbreese 11y ago
  Don't be so negative... it's a first generation prototype for a university project. Let them figure out one system at a time.
  - philbarr 11y ago
    Which is fine, but it's hardly news-worthy?
    - reilly3000 11y ago
      Newsworthy these days means click worthy.
UnoriginalGuy 11y ago
I've not read anyone claiming that the Hyperloop is technologically infeasible. It re-uses a lot of known concepts and will likely work. Most of the concerns I've read are about construction costs, safety (e.g. escaping a stuck hyperloop train), failure modes (e.g. what if the tunnel suddenly floods with air from e.g. an earthquake), practicality (the Hyperloop trains as envisioned don't support wheelchair access, and don't have toilets), and similar civil engineering challenges. If a hyperloop were designed to transport cargo/mail then I think that would "solve" most of the perceived problems (except maybe construction cost). But transporting people adds a whole new vector of complexity to the concept. Again the core concepts of the hyperloop are likely sound. The thing would work if we built it. But it doesn't mean it will ever be built and even if it is, that any passengers will ever be able to utilise it commercially.
- cma 11y ago
  The trip is short, short flights have the same issue with restrooms as you aren't allowed to use the restroom while taxi-ing or during takeoff/landing, which can easily pass 30-40 minutes, especially if there is a line to use the restroom after a delayed takeoff. It is a pod, so wheelchair access will involve stowing the wheelchair, just like a car or seated bus.
  - threeseed 11y ago
    Be serious. If it's an emergency you can of course use the toilet on an airplane. It's just a safety precaution and have seen it ignored many times before. The issue with hyperloop is that there are no options if there is an emergency which makes the idea impractical.
  - jacalata 11y ago
    Not all wheelchair users can leave the wheelchair for a normal seat though. They can't use cars, but the ADA won't allow the hyperloop to exclude them.
    - reagency 11y ago
mattmurdog 11y ago
The Hyperloop would be a nightmare to inspect in a natural disaster. I know how difficult it is now to check on trains now, can't imagine this being fun.
- jacalata 11y ago
  What's involved in checking on trains?
confiscate 11y ago
woohoo University of Illinois goooooo get it!
macinjosh 11y ago
Why spend billions (perhaps trillions) of dollars to get a pod full of people to fly through a tube when we already have technologies to fly pods full of people through the air at the same or higher speeds? Cheaper and greener air travel will be the solution to this problem in our lifetimes.
- thret 11y ago
  Because it is safer, faster, cheaper, greener? But mostly: http://smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2088#comic http://smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2088#comic
  - macinjosh 11y ago
    How can we possibly know that it is safer? The damn thing doesn't even exist yet! Also we already have the infrastructure for air travel so there is no way it is cheaper.
    - thret 11y ago
      Well, like commercial submarine it is one of the few forms of public transport yet to suffer a fatality :) I am sure it will be safer than cars, and unlike a plane it cannot be redirected by hijackers. I'd be willing to bet a substantial amount at say, 2:1 that over the first 10 years of operation it will prove safer than planes in passenger deaths per trip taken.

40 points by miralabs 11y ago

sneak 11y ago

No they did not. The defining features of the hyperloop are air bearings and a partially evacuated tube. This has neither.

akhilcacharya 11y ago
That's exactly what I was thinking. This appears more like a generic maglev system - except in a tube.
- cma 11y ago
  How so? It uses wheels.
- walshemj 11y ago
  Pipeline transport has been around for ages at my first job BHRA we had a real small scale test rig I was offered math modelling or working on that department. I didn't fancy crawling 1/4 a mile down a tube to unstick the pigs (with a one tone load) when they got stuck. Ps Elon if your reading this I am sure that my old Boss at BHRA can put in touch with the research we did back then
mbreese 11y ago
Don't be so negative... it's a first generation prototype for a university project. Let them figure out one system at a time.
- philbarr 11y ago
  Which is fine, but it's hardly news-worthy?
  - reilly3000 11y ago
    Newsworthy these days means click worthy.

UnoriginalGuy 11y ago

I've not read anyone claiming that the Hyperloop is technologically infeasible. It re-uses a lot of known concepts and will likely work. Most of the concerns I've read are about construction costs, safety (e.g. escaping a stuck hyperloop train), failure modes (e.g. what if the tunnel suddenly floods with air from e.g. an earthquake), practicality (the Hyperloop trains as envisioned don't support wheelchair access, and don't have toilets), and similar civil engineering challenges. If a hyperloop were designed to transport cargo/mail then I think that would "solve" most of the perceived problems (except maybe construction cost). But transporting people adds a whole new vector of complexity to the concept. Again the core concepts of the hyperloop are likely sound. The thing would work if we built it. But it doesn't mean it will ever be built and even if it is, that any passengers will ever be able to utilise it commercially.

cma 11y ago
The trip is short, short flights have the same issue with restrooms as you aren't allowed to use the restroom while taxi-ing or during takeoff/landing, which can easily pass 30-40 minutes, especially if there is a line to use the restroom after a delayed takeoff. It is a pod, so wheelchair access will involve stowing the wheelchair, just like a car or seated bus.
- threeseed 11y ago
  Be serious. If it's an emergency you can of course use the toilet on an airplane. It's just a safety precaution and have seen it ignored many times before. The issue with hyperloop is that there are no options if there is an emergency which makes the idea impractical.
- jacalata 11y ago
  Not all wheelchair users can leave the wheelchair for a normal seat though. They can't use cars, but the ADA won't allow the hyperloop to exclude them.
  - reagency 11y ago

mattmurdog 11y ago

The Hyperloop would be a nightmare to inspect in a natural disaster. I know how difficult it is now to check on trains now, can't imagine this being fun.

jacalata 11y ago
What's involved in checking on trains?

confiscate 11y ago

woohoo University of Illinois goooooo get it!

macinjosh 11y ago

Why spend billions (perhaps trillions) of dollars to get a pod full of people to fly through a tube when we already have technologies to fly pods full of people through the air at the same or higher speeds? Cheaper and greener air travel will be the solution to this problem in our lifetimes.

thret 11y ago
Because it is safer, faster, cheaper, greener? But mostly: http://smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2088#comic http://smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2088#comic
- macinjosh 11y ago
  How can we possibly know that it is safer? The damn thing doesn't even exist yet! Also we already have the infrastructure for air travel so there is no way it is cheaper.
  - thret 11y ago
    Well, like commercial submarine it is one of the few forms of public transport yet to suffer a fatality :) I am sure it will be safer than cars, and unlike a plane it cannot be redirected by hijackers. I'd be willing to bet a substantial amount at say, 2:1 that over the first 10 years of operation it will prove safer than planes in passenger deaths per trip taken.