Virgin Hyperloop shows off the near future: mass transport in floating magnetic pods
In the desert just north of Las Vegas, an extended white metal tube sits at the base of the mountains, promising to 1 day revolutionize travel.
That is where Virgin Hyperloop, whose partners include Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is developing the technology for passenger pods which will hurtle at speeds as high as 750 miles an hour (1,200 kph) through almost air-free vacuum tunnels using magnetic levitation.
"It will feel just like an aircraft at take-off as soon as you're at speed," said co-founder and LEADER Josh Giegel, who gave Reuters an exclusive tour of the pod found in its November test run, where it had been propelled along a 500 meter (1,640 ft)tunnel.
"You won't even have turbulence because our bodies is basically completely in a position to respond to all that turbulence. Think noise-canceling but bump-canceling, in the event that you will."
Off-white materials and a back mirror make the pod appear bigger and more "inviting" for new users, Giegel said.
"This pod really was the embodiment of 'How do we take something that's a concept and make it into something that is clearly a reality for us to sit in?' Giegel said.
The pods will seat 28 passengers and could be personalized for long and short distances, and for freight.
While it continues to be at an early stage, Giegel predicts commercial businesses as soon as 2027. It may be the first form of transport in a century to revolutionize travel, exactly like cars, trains and planes did, Giegel said.
Rocket scientist Robert Goddard came up with the "vactrain" idea in the early 1900s. France tried to build up the Aerotrain in the 1960s and 1970s, but insufficient funding killed the project.
Entrepreneur Elon Musk reignited interest in 2013 by aiming what sort of modern system works. Giegel, who worked at Musk's SpaceX at that time, said technology is currently catching up.
The mandatory batteries, power electronics and some sensors were previously nearly ready, Giegel said. "We're at like the very bleeding edge of what a high-speed autonomous battery-powered vehicle is."
Virgin Hyperloop is looking to first develop passenger routes in India, where in fact the transport system is overloaded, and in Saudi Arabia, which lacks an infrastructure.
"It starts off with two persons riding a Hyperloop. It ends with vast sums of men and women riding on a Hyperloop and that is what the 2020s, the roaring 20s will be," Giegel said.
The pod will be on display at the Smithsonian Historic Arts and Industries Museum's "FUTURES" exhibition in Washington in late summer.
Source: japantoday.com
