CLOSING THE LOOP

WITH THE SPEED OF SOUND

The concept of zooming through pneumatic tubes to get from point A to point B has been part of our consciousness for decades. Way back in the 1960’s, it was how George Jetson traveled to the office. Granted, we knew it was the magic of animation, but it was intriguing. And, actually, vacuum tube systems have been used for more than a century in places like telegraph offices and postal services, and more recently, by the general public at the bank drive-up.

Remarkably, “The Jetsons” accurately foreshadowed technology we use now – video calling, smart watches, even chatbots - all now an integral part of life on Earth. So why not “space age” travel?

It’s called hyperloop, and it’s a technology, not a brand name. Except for the transportation factor, it is very different from bullet trains, and a cousin to maglev (magnetic levitation) transportation.

It is probably best known because of Tesla founder Elon Musk’s sidelined foray into building a loop between Los Angeles and San Francisco a decade ago. It promised to best drive and freight time by almost 90%, while being highly energy efficient, immune to weather, collision free and in-service around the clock.

Musk trademarked the tech, but made it open source, and waited to see if other companies would take up the reins of an emerging industry and a “fifth mode of transportation.”

And they did, fine-tuning the vactrain concept to overcome the difficulty of maintaining a vacuum over long distances, tweaking the linear induction motor for ultra-high speeds - 2-3x faster than a bullet train. Around the world, real projects are on drawing boards, but they are pricey and political.

Next Gen, or Bust?

The industry earns harsh criticism from those running the numbers. True, right now, hyperloop transit is far from looking like a profitable venture. But where would we be if innovators ran from the “impossible,” or allowed finances to drive the outcome?

Companies are forging ahead, including Hyperloop Transportation Technologies – HyperloopTT – which used a full-scale test track to determine what it’s like to travel in those conditions, just shy of breaking the sound barrier, including if it would cause passengers to vomit or lose consciousness.

The California-based innovator’s 320-meter track at Toulouse-Francazal Air Base in France precisely mimics the passenger experience, and proved naysayers wrong. The next step is bringing public and private stakeholders together to create the first commercial prototype.

In the U.S, for instance, …