Virgin Hyperloop tease passenger experience
Virgin Hyperloop is apparently on course to make people’s dreams of hurtling through a vacuum tube in a levitating pod at 670mph (1,100kmh) a reality. The Sir Richard Branson-owned Virgin Hyperloop has shared an awe-inspiring video of the passenger experience onboard its all-new hyperloop system.
The rendering reveals what potential passengers can expect to see, from arrivals at the portal to the launch itself aboard a hyperloop pod.
We have demonstrated the maturity of our technology
Sultan Bin Sulayem
Sultan Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop, said in a statement: “Showing the passenger experience of Virgin Hyperloop is a glimpse of the future, following the success three months ago when people rode in a hyperloop pod for the first time.
“We have demonstrated the maturity of our technology.
“We are getting closer to commercialisation of what will be the first new mass-scale transportation mode in a century.”
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And despite the sci-fi aesthetic, people may not have long to wait to get an opportunity to try the hyperloop firsthand.
Virgin Hyperloop has already announced its intention to offer commercial rides as early as 2030.
Sara Luchian, Virgin Hyperloop’s Director of Passenger Experience, said: “Designing a new mode of transportation from scratch is both an opportunity and a responsibility.
“Hyperloop technology – and what it enables – is paradigm-shifting.
“It follows that the passenger experience should be nothing short of extraordinary.”
Virgin Hyperloop’s levitating pods are expected to have a capacity of 28 passengers as they are shuttled through vacuum tubes in style.
The Teague-designed Virgin Hyperloop pods reportedly feature cutting-edge lighting and boast recessed seat wells to prevent passengers feeling too claustrophobic.
John Barratt, CEO and President at Teague, said: “We leveraged decades of experience designing how people and things move across various modalities – taking some of the best aspects from aviation, rail, automotive, and even hospitality to create a new and better passenger experience that is distinct to Virgin Hyperloop.
“Recessed seat wells provide a greater sense of space, while the raised aisle is a touch of the unexpected and unique.
“Bands of greenery and wood textures subvert the aesthetic of typical mass transit materials with something optimistic and fresh.
“All lighting in the pod — including the unassuming information displays—are dynamic and adjust based on traveller activity and journey milestones.”
And if that does not sound luxurious enough way to travel huge distances, a sound system has been designed specifically for the pods.
Joel Beckerman, Founder of Man Made Music, said in a statement: “Through proprietary research and a design thinking approach to creating sound and sonic solutions for Virgin Hyperloop, Man Made Music was able to address a myriad of potential challenges for this new mode of transportation, from how to evoke a sense of privacy and space to an enhanced sense of safety and calm.
“We respond to sound quicker than any other sense, so sound actually drives the multi-sensory experiences.
“The sonic cues of the Virgin Hyperloop identity system serves as a guide for passengers throughout their experience while instilling confidence, safety, and clarity – you ‘feel’ it rather than ‘hear’ it.
“Just like a great movie score, it tells you the story. We know when we’ve got it right when you don’t notice the sound at all: the interface is humanized in ways that are both fresh and familiar.”
What is Virgin Hyperloop?
Virgin Hyperloop’s pods have been created to gradually accelerate via electric propulsion through a vacuum tube.
The pod floats along the track using magnetic levitation and glides at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag.
Virgin Hyperloop anticipates the top speed for both passenger and cargo will eventually exceed 670mph.
To put this into perspective, this is approximately three times faster than high-speed rail and 10 to 15 times faster than traditional rail.
And a recent study has also reported how Hyperloop tickets will probably equate to the cost of driving, rather than flying.
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