IIT Madras Backed Avishkar Team Gets Funding and Technical Support from L&T Technology Services: What is Hyperloop Technology?

IIT Madras backed Team Avishkar aims at building the world's largest vacuum testing facility for Hyperloop technology

IIT Madras students’ Team Avishkar Hyperloop has received investment from global pure-play engineering services provider L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) to develop innovations in the Hyperloop landscape.  LTTS is providing funding and technical support to Team Avishkar for their Hyperloop project. LTTS will enable Team Avishkar to further gain traction on its breakthrough disruptions in the emerging domain of Hyperloop-based transportation solutions for futuristic commuting experience.

Commenting on this project, Prof V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, said: “The vacuum tube, when developed, will be the first of its kind in academia anywhere globally and would be on par with the test facility of the commercial entity, Virgin Hyperloop One in the USA. As such, ours would be the only one of its kind available in public, which we intend to utilise to organize international Hyperloop competitions. aThis facility of ours will allow us to seize the global leadership on Hyperloop technologies, so that we can set standards in this emerging new field.”

What is Hyperloop Technology Being Developed by IIT Madras Backed Avishkar Team?

A hyperloop is a proposed high-speed transportation system for both public and goods transport.The term was popularized by Elon Musk in 2013 through a whitepaper – ‘Hyperloop Alpha’ to describe a modern project based on the vacuum tube train concept^. Hyperloop designs consists of three essential components, which are tubes, pods, and terminals. The reduced air resistance allows the capsule inside the tube to reach speeds of more than 1000 km/hour.

The Hyperloop model proposed by Team Avishkar can achieve a top speed of over 1,200 kilometres per hour. It is completely autonomous, safe, and clean. The team is spearheading Hyperloop Tube research in India and has already patented a novel and cost-effective tube design. Team Avishkar is a 70-member strong interdisciplinary team, drawing members from 11 different academic disciplines.

Team Avishkar is aiming to build the world's largest student-developed Hyperloop testing facility at IIT Madras and is hoping to complete the construction of this 500-metre long Hyperloop facility by this year. This facility will be constructed at Discovery Campus, the Satellite campus of IIT Madras located about 35 km from the main campus. 

The Avishkar Hyperloop Team is implementing a scalable levitation mechanism on its Hyperloop pod, pushing ‘LIM mechanism for contactless propulsion’ to its limits, and is also implementing upgraded power and control systems. Moreover, the team is also aiming to devise novel guidance systems and regenerative braking at a lab scale. Avishkar Hyperloop is working with a vision to develop technologies for future modes of high-speed transportation with applications in various fields including Defence, Logistics and Aerospace Industry, among others.