The minds behind Hyperloop One were able to successfully
demonstrate its core technology, although it's not exactly a giant leap closer
to traveling between cities at a rate faster than an airplane. USA Today
reported that the demonstration involved a bare-metal sled that rocketed down a
track. It was elevated slightly by magnetic levitation technology and sped up
to 2G force. The whole test lasted very quickly at two seconds, but the
founders of Hyperloop One said it is more enough to show that the tech is possible,
and at a cheaper cost.
Co-founder and chief technology officer Brogan BamBrogram
said the test was done to validate the hardware and software of their
technology. "We're aiming to hit 400 miles per hour in two seconds,"
he said.
By the end of the year, they aim to have a full test, with
the sled targeted to accelerate in a 3-mile track tube that can go as fast as
750 mph.
The Hyperloop One will truly change the transportation game
if done successfully. With its steel pods that are magnetically suspended, it
is reported that travel time from Los Angeles to San Francisco can be reduced
to a mere 30 minutes.
Rob Lloyd, CEO of the technologies, said in a CNBC report
that the Hyperloop One project is slated to go full scale in 2016. They are
aiming to move cargo by 2019 and transport its first passengers by 2021.
In the same report, however, David Levinson of the
University of Minnesota's Department of Civil Engineering thinks that decades
are still needed for this technology to be truly successful, adding that this
is not something that can be done overnight.
Still, the minds behind Hyperloop One are not stopping
anytime soon in bringing the future closer to us. Lloyd said the technology is
not only for the United States, but wherever it is needed and wanted, changing
altogether transportation systems throughout the world.
"We're going to leverage technology and some of the smartest
minds to create a transportation experience that feels like riding in an
elevator but allows us to customize what we do when we're moving," he
said.
The Hyperloop One technology has been gaining a lot of buzz
for its claim as being a cheaper alternative to current mass transport systems,
as well as a cleaner technology too, as it does away with big amounts of carbon
emissions.
