CHENNAI: Demonstrating exceptional prowess and innovation, the students from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have yet again made the nation proud. Team Avishkar Hyperloop, representing IIT Madras, secured a commendable position among the top three teams worldwide in certain technical aspects during the recently concluded European Hyperloop Week 2023 (EHW). The significance of this achievement is underscored by the fact that Team Avishkar was the sole non-European contender to garner nominations across multiple award categories.

Hosted amidst the historic beauty of the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland, the EHW 2023 serves as a paramount annual gathering. This international event not only fosters discussions around Hyperloop technology but also delves into its practicality and scalability. Engaging in this platform, university Hyperloop squads from around the globe present their meticulously crafted prototype components and entire pods. These prototypes are then assessed by a technical jury, leading to fierce competition across diverse categories.

This year, the contest witnessed participation from 23 elite teams, originating from various esteemed institutions worldwide. The University of Edinburgh had the honor of orchestrating this renowned competition.

Expressing immense pride in Team Avishkar's outstanding performance, Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, the Faculty Advisor for Avishkar Hyperloop at IIT Madras, remarked, “Avishkar continues the tradition of keeping our flag flying high as in previous years. Over the years, we have got to develop the full stack of Hyperloop technologies and I look forward to our improving them in the future.”

Team Avishkar Hyperloop Sets Benchmark in Global Hyperloop Arena

The prowess of Team Avishkar Hyperloop was undeniably manifested across multiple categories at the European Hyperloop Week 2023. Achieving a global top three rank in the 'Full Scale Socio-Economic Aspects of Hyperloop,' the team presented an illuminating analysis encompassing estimated energy consumption and a ticket pricing model for a typical Hyperloop corridor. Their on-pod Levitation systems garnered significant recognition, placing them among the global top five in the 'Guidance' category. Furthermore, their ingeniously crafted in-house designs for sensors and embedded systems earned them a position among the global top six in the 'Sense and Control Systems' category.

Shedding light on this year's innovations, Ms. Medha Kommajosyula, the Student Team Lead of Team Avishkar Hyperloop, highlighted the distinctive features of their new pod named 'Garuda.' She shared, "Garuda, a fully in-house designed marvel, stands as Asia’s most advanced pod. With a student-designed Linear Induction Motor, which doubles as the primary braking system, the pod embodies bidirectional capabilities and showcases EMS levitation with an impressive lift-to-weight ratio. The power efficiency is complemented by the autonomous embedded systems overseeing speed, direction control, and real-time data acquisition. Empowering this technological gem is a 3kWh LFP primary battery pack, thus cementing Garuda’s position as a technological powerhouse."

Chiming in with future visions, Mr. Siddhant Patole, another Student Team Lead of Team Avishkar Hyperloop, voiced the team's ambitious roadmap. He noted, “With several patents under our belt, we're relentlessly pushing the envelope. Our eyes are set on a 350 km-long Hyperloop corridor between Chennai and Bangalore, which could revolutionize travel by reducing the journey to a mere 30 minutes. We envision India's inaugural Hyperloop corridor to come to fruition within the next two decades, with the groundwork already laid in the form of an under-construction 400m Hyperloop test facility at IIT Madras. Furthermore, we’re committed to sharing our insights with the world, as evidenced by our research papers available online, ensuring the spread of Hyperloop knowledge both domestically and internationally."

IIT Madras has always been at the forefront of fostering innovation, and Avishkar Hyperloop stands as a glowing testament to this commitment. Representing the revered institution with immense pride and dedication, the Avishkar Hyperloop team, with over 50 passionate members, has taken the global stage by storm, earning accolades and recognition for their relentless pursuit of revolutionising transportation.

With their eyes set on creating sustainable Hyperloop technologies, the team's vision isn't just limited to paper and prototypes. They've managed to turn heads and gain traction, thanks to generous funding from various stakeholders, prominently the Government of India. Moreover, the team's innovative zeal is further amplified with robust backing from industry giants such as Tube Investments of India and L&T Construction.

But what truly captures the essence of their dedication is their remarkable journey. Originating as a competitive team under the nurturing aegis of the Center for Innovation (CFI) at IIT Madras in 2017, their trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. By 2019, Avishkar Hyperloop made waves at the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, not only standing out among more than 1,600 teams but finishing in the distinguished Top 10. More impressively, they held the honor of being the sole Asian finalist, placing India on the global Hyperloop map.

Their achievements did not stop there. Their innovative prowess was further acknowledged when they bagged the 'Most Scalable Design' award at EHW 2021. Their consistent dedication was on display at the European Hyperloop Week 2022 in the Netherlands, where they emerged among the Global top five in pivotal categories such as Traction Systems, Electrical Systems, and Complete Pod designs.

Pioneering Hyperloop Dreams: IIT Madras Earns National Acclaim

Earning recognition on the international stage is one thing, but when commendation comes from your home country's top echelons, it resonates on an entirely different level. The students of IIT Madras have managed to garner such admiration, and deservedly so.

Treading the path of innovation, the talented team from IIT Madras has been laboriously working on the 'Avishkar Hyperloop' project. Their remarkable efforts bore fruit recently as they successfully developed a prototype symbolising the future of travel: the Hyperloop. More than just an ambitious concept, the Hyperloop promises to redefine transportation. Imagine travelling in a passenger pod within a tube, under partial vacuum conditions, allowing for transportation speeds never seen before. Such a pod has the potential to seamlessly cover a staggering distance of approximately 350 km in a mere half-hour.

Such groundbreaking achievements rarely go unnoticed, and sure enough, India's Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, took to X (previously known as Twitter), to acknowledge and laud the students' innovative strides. Her tweet, echoing sentiments of admiration and anticipation, read, "Congratulations! Interesting. Wishing you all success in your future endeavors too."

As the nation watches with bated breath, the students of IIT Madras are not just shaping the future of transportation; they're moulding India's technological prowess on the global stage. It's not every day that dreams get closer to reality, but for these students, the journey has just begun.

Innovation often stems from collaboration, and the visionaries at IIT Madras stand testament to that fact. A formidable team, consisting of over 50 undergraduates, postgraduates, and doctoral students, is steering India closer to a future shaped by the marvel of Hyperloop technology. A feat not just of engineering but of sheer determination, this group aims to transform India's transport landscape within the forthcoming decade.

Under the adept leadership of Medha Kommajosyula, the student team lead of the 'Avishkar Hyperloop' project, the team is resolutely committed to progressing from theory to tangible results. Sharing their ambitious roadmap, Kommajosyula reveals, "If we continue working at the pace we are going at right now, we may be able to build the first working Hyperloop rail on a large scale in the next ten years or so."

The foundation of this futuristic travel system can be traced back to Tesla's mogul, Elon Musk, who imagined a world where magnetic propulsion propels pods at astonishing speeds of up to 1,000 km/h within a partial vacuum, slashing air resistance. But while the idea germinated in Musk's brain, it's the IIT Madras Avishkar team that's breathing life into it. Their achievements aren't mere academic exercises; they're pioneering strides towards a new transport epoch.

Taking cognizance of the potential of such innovation, the Ministry of Railways, last year, channeled a robust funding of Rs 8.34 crore towards IIT Madras. This backing aims to propel a collaborative project centered on the Hyperloop, marking India's steps towards adopting, adapting, and innovating within this novel transport paradigm.

With a combination of vision, hard work, and substantial institutional support, the dream of a Hyperloop-propelled India no longer seems like a distant star but a soon-to-be reality.