Virtual Hyperloop concept offers glimpse into future of travel
A virtual glimpse into the future of high-speed ground transport has been revealed by a group of engineers and designers, who have envisaged how Elon Musk’s Hyperloop could look.
The immersive virtual reality experience details the exterior and interior design of travel pods, which pass through a station filled with information screens and navigational signage.
As it sets off on its journey, the pod’s curved top half is seen transforming into transparent panels, providing a panoramic view of the outside world.
The virtual model is part of a SpaceX competition entry from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, an initiative to encourage students to come up with innovative prototypes for Hyperloop.
It is the third time a Hyperloop Pod Competition has been run, with 21 groups from around the globe competing to achieve the fastest top speed along SpaceX’s fully enclosed 1.25km test track.
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Delft University previously won the contest in 2017.
“At Delft Hyperloop we do not just focus on setting a new speed record at the SpaceX competition, but also on the long-term future of the Hyperloop,” said Rieneke van Noort, team captain of concept, known as Delft Hyperloop III.
“A part of this is showing the public what it will be like to travel using this new system.
“Through VR, we want to enable people to experience the Hyperloop in an interactive and immersive way.
“It is great to see people’s enthusiasm when they walk through the Hyperloop station and board one of the pods.”
Although Musk came up with the concept for Hyperloop, he open-sourced the technology to allow other firms to develop the idea.
In his paper written in 2013, Musk described the system as “a cross between Concorde, a rail gun and an air hockey table”.
The theory is that the system will feature a long tube that has had air removed from it to create a vacuum. Then, passive magnetic levitation will be used to create low pressure within the tube and allow the train to float above the track and travel at a speed close to 760mph.
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The (Hype) erloop is BS. Total white elephant. Very expensive, and slower that the car.
Don’t take my work for it, look on YouTube for thunderf00t hyperloop. Philip Mason can explain the science of this better than I.
I was extremely disappointed to see The Canary fall for this billionaire propaganda. Granted it is somewhat subtle, but the concept of “The Hyperloop” is bad science fiction. The materials do not exist that would be needed to do what Elon Musk claims. My suspicion is that it is part “Love me” propaganda and part tax write off.
As previously suggested for a detailed debunking see Thunderfoot on Youtube.
Hmmm. Low tech tube, only got to sustain 1 atmosphere- easy, linear motors- done that, a vehicle similar to an aircraft fuselage- check√… and the materials do not exist to do it???
Now it would be major infrastructure engineering, but Musk was comparing his original concept with the California high speed rail project and provisional figures didn’t look bad.
Given that it was conceived to be mostly on stilts, causing less disruption to countryside and far more fuel efficient and cleaner than air travel, it could mean very rapid transport for wherever it was built. Its main problem would be its maximum capacity.
Not sure what the agenda of the naysayers is.
I actually see a network of these spreading out over Europe within 50 years, just as the Chinese high speed rail network has spread over the last 10 years.