Bibop Gresta, co-founder and chairman of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, had some facts prepared for the crowd at Innovation Live in Dubai.
The Hyperloop concept, very much in the news as of late, is a really interesting and curious piece of technology.
So Bibop Gresta, co-founder and chairman of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, had some facts prepared for the crowd at Innovation Live in Dubai.
“We’d like to improve human life with amazing systems,” he started off. “And the first thing we needed to know was also the most interesting: the technology we need for the Hyperloop is already existing.”
Here are some key things you need to know about the sci-fi-esque concept:
1. It could be cheaper to build than the railways we use now – According to the company’s analysis, the cost of a standard train line would cost anywhere between $50 million to $150 million per kilometre, while those like the Dubai Metro can fetch $80 million to $120 million. The Hyperloop – believe it or not – may cost just a “cheap” $40 million per kilometre.
2. Relax, there’s an emergency stop system being put in place – From a speed of 1,223 kmh, there are three emergency-stop scenarios that are being looked at. Standard: 32 seconds at five kilometres for a gentler emergency stop; aggressive: 16 seconds at 2.5 kilometres for a preferred emergency stop; and extreme: 6.4 seconds at one kilometre for an extreme stop with the possibility of injury. All these are being worked upon to provide the safest emergency stop just in case something goes awry.
3. A lot has been done in less than three years – For an ambitious project such as the Hyperloop, 16 design patents have been filed; 32 leading companies have signed up; system agreements have been sealed in California and Slovakia; and Hyperloop trademarka have been registered in 28 countries – all in 34 months. Bonus: the company is in talks with 19 countries for the possibility of building a Hyperloop system in those places. More info
By Alvin R. Cabral/Dubai  www.khaleejtimes.com
