Queen Mary University of London’s Hyperlink Society, which is working towards building London’s first Hyperloop pod, have been making waves this summer.

In May, they won the Braking Award from Hyperloop Global for their groundbreaking work on their eddy current braking system and test rig. Their dedication and innovation have ensured safety at speeds up to 300mph, integrating cutting-edge eddy current and friction braking technologies. On an Instagram post they shared “this accomplishment highlights our commitment to pushing boundaries and transforming transportation. As we pave the way towards establishing London's inaugural hyperloop hub, we remain driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence.”

From 15 – 21 July, the team attended European Hyperloop Week (EHW) in Zurich. The conference invites the best universities to produce innovative solutions to hyperloop development challenges, over 25 teams competed this year.

“The week was packed with insightful workshops, talks, team presentations, testing, demonstrations, and a public showcase, keeping us fully engaged and inspired. The team especially enjoyed participating in Professor Deborah Nas’ workshop, ‘Hyperloop: Revolution or Evolution?’

A major highlight for us was showcasing our prototype and presenting our groundbreaking biomedical research on ‘Investigating the Impact of Overground and Underground Hyperloop Travel on the Spine.’

Kameron Young’s presentation received great applause and positive feedback—a truly proud moment for the team!”

Whilst at EHW, the team got to visit CERN, the world-renowned particle physics laboratory widely known for proving the existence of the Higgs Boson Particle using its Large Hadron Collider. The team spent a full day at CERN, with the visit offering insights into the physics of the world’s greatest achievements, nuclear research and development the scientists at CERN do.

President of Hyperlink Kirti Raj Megha told us, "we started the day off by participating CERN's 'Seeing the invisible' workshop, exploring particle collisions in the Large Hadron Collider and walked through exhibitions on the World Wide Web.

The quantum research further expanded the team's understanding of how fundamental science and engineering drives technological advancements, and 23 ended the day with a tour of the Synchrocyclotron (CERN’s first accelerator) and ATLAS Control Room - the room behind the ATLAS- the largest particle accelerator in the world. The tour helped in gaining perspective on both historical scientific breakthroughs and the cutting-edge research performed at CERN.

The inspiring CERN visit has provided Hyperlink with profound insights in the cutting-edge domains of vacuum technology, superconducting magnets, and advanced control systems, which are set to significantly propel the team's hyperloop research and development efforts to new heights. Hyperlink would like to thank the support of Queen Mary's School of Engineering and Materials Science in making this invaluable educational experience possible, with the team now more determined than ever to achieve their goal of becoming the first UK team to successfully demonstrate at the European Hyperloop Week!"