What if the transport of tomorrow ran… without wheels? That’s the challenge taken up by Hyperloop UPV, a student team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), which has spent several years designing capsule vehicles capable of reaching 1,000 km/h while levitating inside a vacuum tube. For the new battery architecture of their Astra vehicle, the team turned to our RA7VF telescopic slides, via our Spanish partner Berkomat.
Hyperloop UPV, a world reference in the mobility of the future
The hyperloop concept rests on a simple principle: making a capsule levitate inside a vacuum tube to remove air resistance and ground friction. The expected result: a speed close to that of an airplane, with the comfort of a train.
Hyperloop UPV has established itself as one of the best university teams in the world on this subject:
- first team to present, during the European Hyperloop Week, a levitating vehicle with its own infrastructure and interior design (the Auran vehicle);
- world champion in 2024 with the Vésper vehicle, awarded the Complete System Award;
- world runner-up this year with its latest vehicle, Astra.
The technical challenge: a redesigned battery pack
For Astra, the team evolved the vehicle’s energy architecture: pouch cells give way to cylindrical cells, laid flat in a “floor” configuration on a plate that slots into the side of the vehicle, like a drawer.
The specifications are demanding:
- a vehicle weighing 400 kg, 1 m wide and 2.5 m long;
- a long, loaded drawer that must slide smoothly, without play or jamming, while supporting the weight of the battery pack;
- a competition environment where reliability and repeatability of movement are critical.
The Chambrelan solution: the RA7VF telescopic slide
To meet this need, the team chose our RA7VF telescopic slides, with full extension of 900 to 1000 mm.
Designed for heavy loads, these steel slides deliver smooth, precise translational movement along the full length of the drawer, even under heavy distributed load — exactly the configuration Hyperloop UPV was looking for its battery module.
This is a concrete example of what our guidance systems are designed for: supporting engineers and design offices who push the limits of weight, speed and footprint, with motion components that are simple to integrate and reliable over time.
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A partnership made possible by Berkomat
This collaboration was built thanks to our partner Berkomat, Chambrelan’s distributor in Spain, who connected Hyperloop UPV with our teams. A great example of how our network of local partners enables innovative projects across Europe to access our linear guidance solutions.
Are you developing a project that requires a long, heavy-load, or custom telescopic slide? Discover our range of telescopic slides, including the RA7VF, or contact our experts to discuss your application.
