Cooper Union Hyperloop
The Cooper Hyperloop
Article written by: Irisa Llana AR’21
Cooper Union engineering and architecture students have joined forces to design a pod to compete the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. This competition opened in 2015, and it invites students from all over the world to design the fastest pod. It takes place in SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, where the pod prototypes travel in the 1 mile vacuum tube built by SpaceX.
Our team consists of 25 students, majoring in mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineering, as well as in architecture. Founded in January by Boray Toktay (CE ‘19) and Irisa Llana (Ar ‘21), the team is divided into 5 subsystems: acceleration, brakes, stability, electronics and frame.
If you are wondering what the hyperloop is, you’re not alone. This concept was proposed by Elon Musk just a few years ago, and it is a sealed tube through which a pod may travel free of air resistance,transporting people at high speed. It is expected to become the fifth mode of transportation, after land, sea, air and space- and also the most efficient. Such a transportation system could cut down travel time by at least 5 times, making it a reality to travel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in just 30 minutes. This could translate to a more accessible world, reshaping our views of proximity.
To make the Cooper Hyperloop pod a reality, our team needs your financial support. Our fundraising goal of $35,000 is needed to buy the necessary materials and conduct testing. Even though it is a large undertaking, we are confident that with our design and your support our pod will get built and race at SpaceX. Please follow our facebook page, @cooperhyperloop, and consider donating at support.cooper.edu/hyperloop .
