The TUM Hyperloop program was founded in 2020 from a Student initiative Since then, it has been working to continue the TUM students' success story in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. Gabriele Semino, project manager at TUM Hyperloop, explains:
“TUM Hyperloop aims to develop the technology to make sustainable high-speed transport a reality.”
The next step in this direction is the construction of the test track at the TUM site in Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen. Three areas will be the focus there. First, the tube itself, which will be made of ultra-high-strength concrete. Here, the sealing will be researched on a real scale, as the Hyperloop system is based on a virtually vacuum. The second major research area will be the capsule. In addition to the magnetic levitation system, the primary focus here will be on passenger safety in the vacuum of the tube. The third and final area is the operational control system, which will control the tube and capsule, as well as the propulsion system in the tube.
"We are integrating all key systems into the demonstrator, allowing the technical feasibility of the Hyperloop concept to be investigated holistically. Thanks to the full-scale implementation and the realistic passenger cabin, the system can be certified in the final step and thus used for passenger operations,"
Semino continues. The TUM Hyperloop test segment is considered the first European test field of its kind.
Prime Minister Söder: “Science fiction becomes reality”
The TUM Hyperloop program has been part of the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria since 2020 and is thus co-funded by the Free State of Bavaria. And as part of the Department of Aerospace and Geodesy at TUM, it can draw on the knowledge and resources of the chairs there.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Markus Söder:
"Science fiction becomes reality. The Hyperloop is the vision of a completely new and emission-free mode of transportation at over 400 km/h. We are now building a 24-meter-long test tube for 3.5 million euros. Bavaria embraces the spirit of high-tech and startups. The largest aerospace faculty in Europe is being built in Ottobrunn. With the High-Tech Agenda, we are investing more than any other federal state: 3.5 billion euros with 13,000 new study places and 1,000 professorships. Technology is the future."
Minister of Science Markus Blume added:
"Groundbreaking ceremony for the mobility of the future! Europe's first passenger-sized Hyperloop test segment is being built in Ottobrunn. The vision: sustainable, ultrafast, and safe transportation. The implementation: Made in Bavaria. Young talents with incredible innovative spirit and know-how are proving that passion for technology and the future is part of the Bavarian way of life. Here, science fiction becomes reality!"
And Gerhard Kramer, Vice President of TUM, says:
"The Bavarian High-Tech Agenda is at its best at the TUM locations in Ottobrunn and Taufkirchen. The enthusiasm for technology is literally palpable here. The TUM Hyperloop research program is the result of teams of TUM students who prevailed against the strongest competition in international competitions. We as a university are very proud of this achievement. We are delighted that this program is receiving generous support from the Bavarian state government and is now entering the next phase with the construction of the test segment."
