Defining the Hyperloop journey, a Hardt and Delft Hyperloop collaboration

Over the past months, our Design Department has teamed up with the Head of Design at Hardt Hyperloop – José Eduardo Sánches – to collaborate on various design aspects of the Hyperloop. The goal: to share insights and research, forming a complete vision for hyperloop travel in the future, ranging from station layout to interior design.

Hardt Hyperloop is the Dutch hyperloop company that emerged from the first Delft Hyperloop team that won the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod competition in 2017. Ever since, they have been working towards commercial realization of the hyperloop, by doing market feasibility studies and developing the hyperloop system at full-scale. Recently, Hardt presented their full-scale facility in Delft with the world’s first hyperloop switch. The close link to our team offers possibilities for collaboration on many fronts, including research, testing and design work.

Starting with topics such as travel demand and future context, determining the optimal exterior shape, until designing the last seam in the hyperloop seat, every aspect has been considered to conceptualize the Hyperloop passenger pod in detail. This design is showcased in the Delft Hyperloop Passenger Pod model, as well as the VR experience in which you can experience what it is like to travel with hyperloop.

An example of one of the design challenges is the direct environment in which people travel. The inevitable absence of windows and the limited diameter of the capsule could cause feelings of claustrophobia in travelers, reducing the overall travel experience. To overcome this, the interior is designed to be spacious and open, using nature as inspiration to create an environment that makes one feel at ease.

While the focus of Hardt and Delft Hyperloop differ in nature, our visions for the future are alike: creating a sustainable future in which distance does not matter, connecting cities and people like never before.