Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Swissloop, the groundbreaking engineering student project of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), caused a sensation at the third edition of the European Hyperloop Week in Scotland when it collected five out of ten awards.
Swissloop’s prototype “Bertrand Piccard” wins five prizes at the European Hyperloop Week 2023 (© Swissloop).
Pioneering prototype
Hyperloops, viewed by some as the fifth mode of transport, may revolutionize long-distance travel. They offer a cleaner alternative to planes and are faster than trains. At the annual European Hyperloop Week, the team of 38 students showed the highly innovative prototype named “Bertrand Piccard” and stood up to competitors from all over the world and won half of all awards, including the “Complete Pod Award” for the best prototype of the entire event.
Swissloop sponsored by many high-tech companies in Switzerland and beyond, constructs pioneering prototypes that lay the foundation for tomorrow’s climate-neutral, high-speed passenger transportation. Every year, the team develops a new, technologically advanced Hyperloop prototype with which they participate in the European Hyperloop Week and compete against other leading student teams.
“Bertrand Piccard”
This year, Swissloop impressed with an approximately 2.5-meter-long and 250-kg prototype that can hover in all directions with the help of electromagnetism. In addition, “Bertrand Piccard” has an innovative linear motor and a special cooling system that works perfectly even in a vacuum, as well as other technical achievements.
Already during the first week on-site in Edinburgh, the Swissloop team impressed with the smooth assembly of 50 meters of their self-designed track system within only two days. The impressive hover tests and fast runs underlined the excellent work of the team. The pod is named after the famous Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard who completed a non-stop balloon flight around the world, along with Brian Jones.
Decisive days
The European Hyperloop Week began with intensive testing of the prototype, during which the jury verified its safety and functionality. The team mastered this hurdle with ease and convinced the jury with a perfect presentation of the individual systems during the pitches. The highlight of the event was the “Demonstration Day”, where Swissloop excelled in front of hundreds of spectators and impressed the audience as well as the jury with a fully hovering and exceptionally fast prototype.
Finally, the Swissloop team was awarded a well-deserved recognition. With the “Electrical Subsystem Award”, the “Traction Award”, the “Würth Electronics Thermal Management Award” and the “Sense & Control Award”, the team won four awards. Finally, Swissloop collected the prestigious “Complete Pod Award”, which crowned their prototype the best of the entire European Hyperloop Week. “These awards are an honor for us and a recognition of our hard work and innovation this year,” says Carl Brander, team lead for this year’s Swissloop season.
Text: Swissloop/ETHZ (Editing by SCCIJ)
