Student team from IIT Madras reaches top 21 in global SpaceX Hyperloop competition

tech2 News StaffJul 24, 2019 16:14:24 IST

Avishkar Hyperloop, a student hyperloop team from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, may not have taken home the ultimate prize at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019, but they certain won the hearts of both, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as well as co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop One, Josh Greigel while there.

Hailing from the Centre For Innovation (CFI) at IIT Madras, Avishkar was the only Asian team of students to enter the final round of the competition held in Los Angeles on 21 July. Led by second-year M Tech student Suyash Singh, a mechanical engineer, Avishkar Hyperloop was in the top 21, out of 1,600+ competing teams from around the world.

Team Avishkar Hyperloop. Image: IIT Madras/Facebook

The winner of the competition was Team TUM (the Technical University of Munich), who set a record with their hyperloop speed: 463 kilometers per hour.

Team @WARR_Hyperloop’s official top speed was 284 mph – beating last year’s record!

— Hyperloop (@Hyperloop) July 22, 2018

The @iitmadras @avishkar_loop student hyperloop team stopped by our Los Angeles headquarters to learn more about our progress in India. Always encouraging to see the next generation of thinkers embracing this transformative technology! pic.twitter.com/EPnDbJc8Xw

— Virgin Hyperloop One (@HyperloopOne) July 19, 2019

Avishkar Hyperloop, who's pod wasn't as record-setting, met Musk, who was all praise for their incredible work.

Pleasure to have met and interacted with @elonmusk at the @SpaceX @Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019! Also, a wonderful experience for Team @avishkar_loop , the only Asian Finalist there!#LeapOntoTheLoop #IndianHyperloop pic.twitter.com/ZYOnlbFQh9

— Pranit Mehta (@ThePranitMehta) July 22, 2019

The Avishkar team hopes to develop technologies for a mode of high-speed transportation in the future, with applications in various fields including defence, logistics, and the aerospace industry, among others.

"The team has taken strenuous technical efforts at every stage and has been quite professional about executing the project. This is an important milestone for the future transportation technology in our country," said Dr SR Chakravarthy, Faculty Advisor to Avishkar Hyperloop from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Madras, told Analytics India magazine.

In case you were thinking of applying for next year, here's what Elon Musk says you've got to look forward to.

Next year’s @Hyperloop competition will be in a 10km vacuum tunnel with a curve

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2019