It’s an incredible feeling to get an opportunity to be one of the first occupants in a Hyperloop. Working on the technology for the past five years and then seeing our team’s efforts come into fruition is immensely fulfilling, to say the least. A few years ago, being able to work and represent Hyperloop on such a grand scale was definitely in the dream realm for me. Initially, I was into the development and working of the pod so I was well aware of the technology of the pod. And later, when I was given the opportunity to ride the pod, it was something I definitely couldn't miss. Today I feel extremely fortunate to get an opportunity to represent and showcase the development of this technology and excited to see what the future beholds. You could simply compare it to a baby starting to take its first steps and that making you prouder.
It has been a collective effort from the entire team that helped us reach this milestone. It's a pretty huge project involving mechanical, civil, life support systems, power electronics, and various aspects making it a huge project.

Well, something that you haven't seen before. Hyperloop is the first new mode of transport that is being developed in over 100 years because it’s something different from what we are used to as of today. We are moving towards electrification of transport sustainably and making use of renewable sources. Hyperloop is being designed as a transportation mode of the future that alleviates us from the key drawbacks faced by existing modes of transport. Hyperloop is an on-demand, high-speed and sustainable mode of transport with no direct emissions. Vehicles called pods travel in an enclosed and controlled structure similar to a large tube, which is operated at an extremely low pressure close to a vacuum. To give you an analogy, it’s similar to flying at around two hundred thousand feet, so that's like flying high considering Aeroplanes fly at thirty-five thousand feet. Pods independently travel at high speeds in these tubes and are propelled and controlled using electric propulsion. So, well this is from the technology perspective but considering the user perspective, it's equally friendly. The system is designed from the ground up with multiple safety features and redundant systems. From a passenger perspective, we expect the journey to be safer than any other existing mode of transport and the experience an enjoyable one.

As a power electronics specialist, my core job is to architect and design the power electronics hardware used for pod propulsion and dynamics control systems. My day-to-day is filled with a variety of interesting design questions you could say. Every day it's solving new problems and challenging design stuff. So this is all we do in Aly, and later the testing is done in the deserts in Vegas. So, both the experiences are different and exciting. At our Nevada test facility(DevLoop) I was the responsible engineer for our wayside MV power system. This includes the operation of an MW scale power drive that is used for our propulsion system. Along with that, I was responsible for the hardware design of our distributed control system which functions as a feedback network for the power system. These integrated systems help us achieve pod propulsion and control. During our recent passenger tests for project Pegasus, my focus was largely directed towards developing the safety and redundancy circuits in the system which are integral for passenger safety. Depending on the testing phase for me, a day at our Nevada test site is usually installing and testing hardware or operating the system from the control room. That has been the general workflow over the years. Although recently it seemed more like arriving on-site and then taking a ride in a Hyperloop!

The fundamental difference is that our site at Nevada is a test facility where we have been developing the technology over the past 5-6 years. The system in India is going to be the deployment of the technology which is the stage achieved after the technology has been fully developed and certified. The basic technology that you would see in Nevada and India or anywhere else in the world would be the same but there might be subtle differences based on the topology and route alignment for a given location. Our technological development in Nevada is an integral step in the vision to deploy Hyperloops around the globe. In terms of operation, Nevada is a testbed for us engineers to develop the system. India would be for the masses to travel in.

I think a Hyperloop network in India would bring about a transformative change in the way we operate on a day-to-day basis. Some of the projects that we are exploring in India like the Pune-Mumbai route or the Bengaluru airport connector and others would transform the regions from an industrial and social perspective. If you can change travel time from hours to minutes, that level of connectivity opens up the floor to a plethora of possibilities and opportunities. From an individual perspective, saving travel time means more time to spend with your family and friends and your interests. Based on the response that we have been receiving and just catching up with folks from back home, I do not doubt that people in India would rapidly adopt this new mode of transport. Our goal for designing the Hyperloop is to make the passenger experience as seamless and comfortable as possible. It is meant to be used by kids, adults, and elders alike and we include all of these considerations in our design itself. The excitement from all across the globe is very encouraging for us.

Talking of the other different prospects of hyperloop apart from passenger transportation, it could be used as airport connectivity. If you could connect an airport away from the main city with the hyperloop, it would prove to be convenient for all. Some of our work has also been towards cargo routes. You could convert them into cargo packets and they could be transported according to the requirements.

Being one of the first to ride a hyperloop is something beyond my dreams. I feel fortunate to have received this opportunity. Pounced on it the moment it was presented to me. Now I can proudly say that I was part of the team that built it and also one of the first occupants. During my undergraduate studies back in India I used to dream about working on technologies like Hyperloop and to achieve this is a surreal experience.

Creating something that has far-reaching effects and an inherent value on a large scale is always riddled with plenty of difficult challenges. Approaching such technologies with different perspectives does help break down these challenges into solvable chunks and helps to make rapid progress. Based on my experience over the past five years developing Hyperloop, that approach seems to be rock solid. Student competitions, academic projects, startups all help in collectively solving these difficult problems. I would say, the more competent minds working on a shared goal, the higher is the probability of success for achieving the same. There are several examples of this, take the “Xprize” model, for instance, I see the value in such collaborative approaches.

I am a bit of an optimist about such questions and I think the next mode could be space travel. Something akin to the “Starship” that SpaceX is developing. Several companies are popping up in that space and we could see some rapid development over the next few decades in space technology.

A Hyperloop in India would open up the stage to all regional universities and academic institutions to contribute to its development. India is an innovation hub and I am sure that there would be plenty of opportunities to collaborate as we start building it out. India can be a prime mover when it comes to manufacturing and deployment for Hyperloop. In our feasibility study, we found out that more than 70% of the components and the technology could be manufactured in India using existing infrastructure. There would be many jobs and several opportunities for students to work on cutting-edge technology.

Yes, I think it aligns with some of the ideas that Mr. Kalam laid out as a vision for our country. There was a strong focus on the importance of science and technology in the development of our country. And I think that thought deeply resonates with our vision of Hyperloop deployment in India. The connectivity that a Hyperloop would enable would be monumental in assisting our rural and urban regions to co-exist and help propel all-around balanced growth. A hyperloop can create mega-regions by creating previously unavailable economic and business opportunities in these regions. India has been developing a track record of leapfrogging technologies and now Hyperloop provides us with an opportunity to take a significant leap in transportation and connectivity.

Yes, I did mention that grades weren’t something that personally interested me, but it would be incorrect to say that they are not important. I think I tend to be on the curious and exploratory side of the spectrum, which is why in school I was pursuing interests that didn’t seem as relevant at the time. But I feel like those efforts paid off in the long run. A lot of what I do on a day-to-day basis is solving complex problems with sometimes a limited amount of testing and statistical data. During my undergraduate studies, the challenges weren’t so complicated but there were some limitations on the available resources. Although it went rather unnoticed at the time, I was able to develop and practice various problem-solving approaches through all of my different projects and attempts. From a technical perspective working in robotics helped me attain the necessary skills for developing hardware control systems and electrical circuits which are key elements of my day-to-day tasks today. Taking part in extracurriculars helps you understand how to interact with people, work in teams, and helps in overall development. All of those efforts helped me position myself well for the role that I play today.

In retrospect, I would say that college life is the training grounds for our careers. If there was one thing I would say that has helped me throughout this process is forgoing the fear of failure and looking at failures more as a learning experience irrespective of how much they hurt in the short term. That thought probably just comes to me because of failing multiple times over the years but not letting go of those pursuits. I think observing and being proactive to learn from your peers and team members is just as crucial. If you have a well-defined goal and if you can remain grounded in the process by learning and pushing yourself as much as possible, the probability of success increases that much more with every attempt. Not sure if I am the right person to advise students, but what has worked for me is figuring out my interests/goals and then formulating a practical plan as an attempt to achieve those targets. Irrespective of the result in the process you end up learning. An optimal path forward is to incorporate those learnings, redirect yourself and continue the pursuit.

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