THE CHALLENGE

This project is the response by a group of dedicated University of Waterloo students to the SpaceX Hyperloop pod challenge to independently design and build a prototype Hyperloop pod to be tested on a one-mile test track in Hawthorne, California in January 2017. 

Our prototype design uses a minimalist style while retaining strict safety considerations. By selecting this design philosophy, a reduction in the manufacturing complexity, cost and mass is achieved, while simultaneously permitting an effective travel speed and increased reliability. Our attempt to build the pod with off-the-shelf components throughout the system allows for it to be scalable to full size and to reduce cost. Furthermore, the flexibility inherent in such a modular design allows for additional functionality and aesthetic flourishes to be included without significantly impacting the pod’s core functions.

The GOOSE X is our conceptual Hyperloop passenger vehicle design which illustrates what a Hyperloop vehicle will one day look like, once the technology is ready for passenger use. This full-scale design won't be built for many more years, but is directly derived from the pod we are building for the SpaceX pod competition.