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For the first ever Not-a-Boring Competition (run by The Boring Company), UMD Loop is working to “beat the snail” by designing, building, manufacturing, and testing an innovative micro tunnel boring machine (TBM). Leveraging university connections, veteran team member experience, and our extensive alumni network, UMD Loop is shaping up a design that will set the pace for the TBM industry. Through rapid prototyping, dedication to the fundamentals of design, and a whole lot of late nights, UMD Loop team members will continue a 5-year tradition of engineering excellence as the University of Maryland’s first TBM competition team!
Who We Are:
As one of the leading undergraduate engineering teams in the entire world, UMD Loop understands the importance of having a diverse team in every meaning of the word. While the world continues to grow and change, we will continue to put diversity, and critical thinking at the top of our priorities. The team has never seen undergraduates with more experience and special skills than on the team right now. Back in 2015, there were 19 team members. Currently, UMD Loop has 65 undergraduate students all working towards the same common goal: paving the way for the next generation of engineers, programmers, and all-around professionals. With students representing 13 majors, 11 states, and 5 countries, UMD Loop is more than confident that we can make a real different at the University of Maryland, in the TBM competition, and in the entire world!
What is Hyperloop, and is it a feasible idea?
The Hyperloop concept is an advanced mode of transportation envisioned by Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, and PayPal. A pod, which is like a train car, travels down a vacuum sealed tube at very high speeds. This concept would provide faster, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper transportation between cities where it would be cost and time inefficient to use traditional modes of transport (e.g. airplane, car, train, etc.). To the best of our knowledge, the Hyperloop will be feasible and operational in the next decade. Hyperloop One, a start-up company, is already working to make this idea a reality. Upon implementation, the Hyperloop could be the fastest, safest, and most environmentally friendly method of transportation. It would be used to connect cities where existing transportation systems are wasteful and not time efficient.
How has UMD Loop Worked around the Pandemic?
When the pandemic hit in March, UMD Loop’s avionics engineers got to work designing the distributed system from the ground up, gaining valuable design experience in system architecture. With a creative design approach, UMD Loop will be able to control its TBM, and be able to minimize the amount of risk from COVID-19 along the way. While adhering to local and state restrictions, the team is operating to reduce in-person work and maintaining social distance guidelines. UMD Loop is taking the pandemic in stride, and making every attempt to get the job done regardless of the constraints!
Who else will be Competing at the Not-a-Boring Competition?
Out of nearly 400 applicants, UMD Loop was chosen as 1 of only 12 teams to advance to the final competition. Named "The Digging Dozen," by The Boring Company, these teams consist of the world's premier engineering universities from Germany, Switzerland, and India, to name a few. While some of these teams have budgets in the millions, UMD Loop is confident that we can come out on top of the pack even while facing a harder a climb. More than half of the teams consist of full-time engineers, professors, and paid graduate students, while UMD Loop members work solely out of passion and devotion to engineering and success!
While we are confident we can build the TBM, UMD Loop needs your help to push our undergraduates across the finish line. Every donation, no matter the size, will count. Thank you for all the support, we could not have gotten this far without the help from all of our sponsors and supporters!
Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
A donation of $25 will cover the price of competition uniforms for one team member. The Competition shirts will allow UMD Loop to standout be one unified team!
A donation of $75 will pay for water for the entire team at Competition. While UMD Loop is working several hours each day in the hot sun, your donation will make sure that our team members stay healthy and hydrated!
A donation of $150 will cover a week's worth of meals for one team member.
A donation of $300 will cover airfare for one student to experience this once-in-a-lifetime competition to get invaluable work experience and meet with recruiters from SpaceX, The Boring Company, and other highly sought-out companies.
A donation of $1,000 will cover the cost of renting transportation while at Competition, allowing our team to travel to the Competition and around the city. Donations at this level will be recognized on UMD Loop's social media pages.
A donation of $2,500 will cover the expenses of lodging for 10 students while at Competition. Donations at this level will be recognized on UMD Loop's social media pages as well as the team website.