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Two-hour commutes in ten minutes? 6 technologies that could change the way we travel
The fascinating future of how we’ll get from A to B.
IN THE MOST RECENT INSTALMENT of this series, we took a look at how technology was beginning to transform cities around the world, from smart traffic lights to city-wide ‘digital nervous systems’.
But how does technology impact on how we get between these cities, and how will the way we travel change as technology makes such impressive advances?
Here, we take a look at some of the most exciting projects around the world that could take you from sitting in traffic into magnet-powered taxis, self-driven buses and maybe even into space.
1. Pressure-powered pods that are faster than airplanes
Unveiled five years ago as the brainchild of business magnate, investor, engineer and inventor Elon Musk, the Hyperloop is a pod-like vehicle that launches itself through a reduced-pressure tube, and hits speeds that are faster than an airliner. The high-speed transit system uses reduced-pressure tubes in which pressurised capsules move on an air cushion created by linear induction motors and air compressors
Just last week, the team behind the Hyperloop announced eleven possible routes where it could be implemented in the United States including the Rocky Mountains, Florida and Texas. It’s said that the Hyperloop could take passengers on a 700 miles per hour (1,126 kilometres per hour) journey between three European cities in just minutes in capsules propelled by magnets.
2. Commercial spacecraft that offer suborbital spaceflights
Earlier this month, business magnate Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic, heralded as the world’s first commercial spaceline, is aiming to launch their first spaceflight this year, following twelve years of research and testing.
Although a former model crashed in October 2014, Branson says that he and some of his family members intend to be on Virgin Galactic’s first flight, which will cost $250,000 (€234,000) a seat. Other companies, like Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin are also following suit to suborbital flight to consumers.
3. Automated, self-driving podcars as public transport
Podcars, formally known as Personal Rapid Transport (PRT), typically carry three to six passengers over a series of specially-built guideways, allowing for non-stop, point-to-point travel. And the best bit? They’re self-driven, meaning it’s a little like a private, robotic taxi that takes you directly to your destination.
They’ve already been introduced to Morgantown, West Virginia (by Boeing), Rivium in the Netherlands, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, Suncheon, South Korea and as a 21-vehicle system ULTra in London’s Heathrow Airport.
4. 1,200-person buses that are capable of zooming over traffic
Around this time last year, China unveiled plans for an impressive ‘uber bus’ that can carry 1,200 passengers and travel above vehicles as a much-needed solution to their notorious traffic jams in Chinese cities.
First showcased at the China Beijing International, the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) has also been designed to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, powered by electricity and solar energy generated by its roof panels, and engineers claim it can be built within a year if the project is to go ahead.
5. Levitating two-passenger trains that are powered by magnets
In an effort to consider travel options that won’t disrupt the roads below it, SkyTran has been developed as part of the expansion of Personal Rapid Transport to cities around the world, and is said to be capable of cutting two-hour commutes to ten minutes.
Almost like an urban version of a lightweight cable-car, SkyTran is powered by magnets and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Currently, it’s being built in Israel as a pilot project, but the technology has been proposed in France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, the UK and the US.
6. A smart-phone enabled wheel that makes any bike electric
If cycling tends to be your preferred way of getting around (cyclists tend to be the happiest commuters, according to research by Clemson University), the development of the Copenhagen Wheel is hugely exciting.
Developed by Superpedestrian in conjunction with MIT, the Copenhagen Wheel converts any bike into an electric bike, giving users 10% more power to pedal. It connects to your smartphone, which acts as a lock (without the phone, your bike won’t work). The app also has a self-diagnostic system that monitors your wheel’s health, notifying users if Superpedestrian needs to fix it, making it even safer for cyclists to commute.
Want to experience the latest technologies changing how we travel in cars? The new Volkswagen Golf is available with Car-Net App Connect (Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Smartphone Integration) and Car-Net Guide &Inform (allowing you to use real-time data from the internet on your Sat-Nav, such as available parking spaces or nearby points of interest). Discover more at Volkswagen.ie.
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