02 / AVISHKAR HYPERLOOP · IIT MADRAS

Stability at speed.

A suspension system designed, manufactured, and tested for a high-speed Hyperloop pod — with a focus on controlled motion and measurable response.

Illustrative concept render of a Hyperloop pod on a test track
Pod 4.0 · illustrative render
7-DOFTest setup response
Top 5Overall pod design · EHW 2021
ScalableZeleros design award
01 — THE CHALLENGE

Keep the pod controlled as speed and forces rise.

STABILITY / SUSPENSION TEAM

As part of the Avishkar Hyperloop stability and suspension team, I worked on the suspension system for the team’s pod. The goal was to optimize controlled motion at higher speeds through design, manufacturing, and testing.

The team explored semi-active suspension technology and developed a novel test setup to examine the pod’s 7-degree-of-freedom response. These tests helped us evaluate how the system behaved under simulated conditions.

Pod 4.0 combined multiple subsystems. At European Hyperloop Week 2021, the team received the Most Scalable Design Award from Zeleros and ranked fifth for complete pod design.

INTERACTIVE DEMO · QUALITATIVE VISUALIZER

Feel the suspension response.

Change the track input and damping to see how the pod and bogie move relative to each other.

LIVE MODEL

A simplified ride response.

This visual demo illustrates the relationship between track disturbance and body movement. It is not measured project data or a full 7-DOF physics simulation.

RELATIVE BODY RESPONSE
41%Moderate
Qualitative scale for this demo only.
Interactive simplified Hyperloop suspension visualizerA side view of a pod suspended above two bogie wheels. Slider controls change the track bump and pod movement. POD BODYTRACK INPUT SUSPENSIONBOGIE + WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Pod bodySuspensionTrack input
02 — ENGINEERING WORK

Design, build, test, refine.

01 / DESIGN

Suspension geometry

Develop the mechanical layout to support stable, controlled pod movement.

02 / PROTOTYPE

Manufacture and assemble

Translate the suspension concept into a working assembly for evaluation.

03 / VALIDATE

Measure response

Build a test setup to study the 7-DOF system response and tune the design.

These are concept illustrations created for this portfolio page; they are not photographs or CAD exports of the original team hardware.

KEEP EXPLORING

Build for
the terrain.

NEXT PROJECT · 03Agrobot — Hilly terrain↗