Groningen’s Meerstad is to be home to a Hyperloop testing facility, but yesterday a smaller prototype was installed at the Zernike Campus in Groningen. The images of the prototype have been shared by researcher Piet Zijlstra (@PietZijlstra on Twitter), reports the GIC.

The prototype will remain at Zernike for a few years and will be used as a testbed. One of the things that will be demonstrated is what happens when the hyperloop tube remains in the open air.

In time, research will then be shifted to Meerstad. A considerably wider tube, with a diameter of 2.5 meters, will then be installed, and then people can actually investigate what it is like to transport freight with it.

But first, a test center will have to be built at Meerstad. This requires further consultation with local residents and the municipality to ensure careful integration into the area.