For those unfamiliar, several years ago Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk pitched the idea of a hyperloop system which is basically a new method of transportation. Instead of relying on trains, buses, or cars, the hyperloop would place people inside tubes and zip them off to their destination. We suppose in a way it could be thought of as an evolution of the train system.
In fact according to Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, one of the companies who are working on prototypes, will be borrowing a concept from existing train systems. The company has recently announced that they are currently building a prototype that will rely on “passive magnetic levitation” technology.
This is apparently a variant of current maglev tech which can be found in train systems in Japan, China, and Europe. However the main difference is that this tech will be cheaper and safer compared to current maglev tech. This is based on the work done on passive magnetic levitation by Dr. Richard Post called the Inductrack from back in 2000.
According to Bibop Gresta, COO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, “Utilizing a passive levitation system will eliminate the need for power stations along the Hyperloop track, which makes this system the most suitable for the application and will keep construction costs low. From a safety aspect, the system has huge advantages, levitation occurs purely through movement, therefore if any type of power failure occurs, Hyperloop pods would continue to levitate and only after reaching minimal speeds touch the ground.”
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