Hyperloop technology, an innovative concept in high-speed transportation, recently achieved a world record thanks to the Swisspod team and Romanian engineer Denis Tudor. This remarkable achievement, announced by the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), opens up new perspectives for the development of the fast and environmentally-friendly transportation of the future.
Switzerland was the birthplace of the Hyperloop concept and is now back at the forefront of the technology’s development thanks to an international team led by Denis Tudor, Romanian engineer and founder of Swisspod Technologies. The technology proposed by Tudor has set a new world record for the longest successful test of a Hyperloop system, marking an important step towards the implementation of this futuristic transportation solution. The Hyperloop is an ultra-fast transportation system that uses capsules that travel in a vacuum tube, virtually eliminating air resistance and allowing much higher speeds than conventional trains. Unlike conventional transportation ideas, the Hyperloop concept brings unprecedented speed with minimal environmental impact. EPFL and Swisspod have managed to turn an ambitious idea into a real success that has attracted international attention.
The concept of Hyperloop dates back to the 1970s, when Swiss professor Marcel Juffer first developed the idea of transportation through vacuum tubes. Although a company was founded in 1992 to implement the idea, the project was abandoned in 2009. In 2012, Elon Musk brought the Hyperloop idea back into the spotlight, launching international competitions to develop prototypes and giving engineers around the world a platform to innovate. Denis Tudor and his team at EPFL participated in these competitions organized by SpaceX and The Boring Company, gaining recognition for their innovative design. Denis Tudor won trophies for ‘Best Design’ (2016), ‘Best Innovation’ (2017) and ‘Best Engineering’ (2018), and was personally recognized by Elon Musk. This success inspired him to found Swisspod Technologies with his colleague Cyril Denereaz, with the aim of realizing a functional Hyperloop system based on his technology.
The innovation brought by Denis Tudor is the use of a linear induction motor (LIM), a technology which, unlike conventional induction motors, generates a linear motion over long distances. This electromotor allows the capsule to be propelled by a continuous interaction with magnets along its path, while also providing the levitation needed for stability and increased speed. His recently completed PhD thesis analyzes this mechanism in detail and confirms the necessity of the magnetic levitation system for a fully functional Hyperloop. The record achieved by the Swisspod and EPFL team is remarkable, even if the test tunnel is not yet equipped with the magnetic levitation system, as the capsules are currently supported by conventional rails. This success demonstrates the viability of the technology and points to the possibility of further developments that could transform the Hyperloop into a commercial solution for rapid and environmentally friendly transportation.
The innovation of Denis Tudor and his team at Swisspod demonstrates that the Hyperloop is no longer just a futuristic concept, but a rapidly evolving technology that can redefine global mobility. With the support of EPFL and international partners, this ambitious project could soon become an affordable and sustainable means of transportation with a profound impact on high-speed travel and logistics.