Over a thousand years ago, no one would have ever imagined that one day they could fly. Although we have not advanced to that imagination physically, we have made it come true through the use of machines, for example, airplanes. This shows that imaginations can become reality and underestimating such ideas only delays their implementation. In the world of predictions let’s focus on two such predictions made by Dr Ian Pearson that talk about the future of transportation.
The first prediction that we are interested in exploring is HYPERLOOP BY 2025. Hyperloop is a futuristic tubular system that shoots pod like capsules containing passengers between destinations at a speed of more than 500 miles per hour. The differences between Hyperloop and traditional Railways are that the pods carrying passengers travel through tubes from which most of the air has been removed to reduce friction, and the pods are designed to float on air skis, using the same basic idea as an air hockey table, or use magnetic levitation to reduce friction. Similar systems using pneumatic tubes to send mail and packages between buildings have been in use since the late 19th century. After a long pause, Elon Musk has reignited interest in the concept of Hyperloop with his paper HYPERLOOP ALPHA in August 2013.In his paper, Elon Musk argued that his Hyperloop could be safer, faster, more affordable, self- powering and less disruptive to people living along the route of the tube. Musk also mentions that Hyperloop services could be the answer to travel between cities that are less than 1500 km (900 miles) apart, beyond which supersonic air travel would be more efficient. Pearson’s prediction also states that by 2050 Hyperloops will be pretty normal as a mode of transportation.
The second prediction is DRIVERLESS PODS BY 2025. According to Pearson, people will be able to own their own "cheap steel box" and control it themselves using a phone. The boxes Pearson envisions will not have wheels, thereby making them even more affordable. The ‘Cheap steel boxes’ referred are the driverless pods. Elon Musk’s Tesla has introduced something similar to Pearson’s vision but with wheels. Tesla’s Autopilot is a suite of advanced driver-assistance system features offered by Tesla that has lane centering, traffic-aware cruise control, self-parking, automatic lane changes, semi-autonomous navigation on limited access freeways, and the ability to summon the car from a garage or parking spot. These features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicles autonomous. With the current progress we can hope to travel in these steel boxes really soon.
The future of transportation is uncertain yet promising. New innovations and technological interventions are scripting the future and it’s just a matter of time before these concepts get realised and people travel places at the speed of sound. As we continue to make new breakthroughs, these futuristic projects are proof of fun and exciting times ahead.
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