Utah Startup Constructs Hyperloop Model

WhiteClouds used 3-D printing to bring Elon Musk's high-speed transportation system to life.

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When Tesla Motors and SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed the details of the Hyperloop on Aug. 12, he made clear he had no immediate plans to build the high-speed transportation system.

However, a team of designers at WhiteClouds, a 3-D printing startup in Utah, have taken matters into their own hands, claiming to have constructed a small scale model of the Hyperloop in less than 24 hours.

"As a company we're really interested in technology, and I thought it would be fun and interesting to take what we do every day and make the Hyperloop concept into something real. This really demonstrates the possibilities 3-D printing offers," said CEO Jerry Ropelato in a statement on WhiteCloud's website.

[RECAP: Elon Musk Reveals Hyperloop Details]

According to the statement, each designer designed a separate component of the Hyperloop concept using various computer-aided design software and used three different 3-D printers to bring the system to life.


Musk estimated the Hyperloop could transport travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in roughly 30 minutes and would be immune to weather and earthquakes.

The Hyperloop was born out of Musk's criticism of California's currently-proposed High-Speed Rail Program, which would cost roughly $68 billion. The rail system would travel at speeds reaching 200 mph, shuttling passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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