Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is the Hyperloop, a futuristic passenger pod.
Elon Musk's dream of a "Hyperloop" underground transit system that propels passengers at 750 mph through underground magnetic tubes is slowly taking shape, said Jon Porter at The Verge. HyperloopTT, one of several startups racing to make Musk's vision a reality, recently unveiled its first full-scale passenger capsule. The 5-ton, 105-foot-long Quintero One is almost completely constructed from sensor-embedded carbon fiber.
HyperloopTT calls the material Vibranium, the same name as the fictional metal in Captain America's shield. The startup will now test the capsule at its track in Toulouse, France. Don't expect it to hit Musk's promised speeds anytime soon, though. The Hyperloop speed record currently stands at 284 mph, set by a 187-pound miniature pod too small for any human passengers.
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