Context

• US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has unveiled its first full-scale transportation capsule at Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain.

About

What is Hyperloop?

• Hyperloop is a new form of ground transport currently in development by a number of companies, which could see passengers travelling at 700 miles an hour in floating pods within low-pressure tubes.
• The pods carrying passengers travel through tubes or tunnels from which most of the air has been removed to reduce friction.
• Rather than using wheels like a train or car, 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.

Capsule

• The unveiled capsule is named as ‘Quintero One’ and weighs about 5 tonnes.
• It has been made completely out of HTT’s “Vibranium”, a specially made dual layer smart composite material.
• The capsule will be fully optimized and ready for passengers by 2019.

Use of Vibranium in the capsule:

• It is a special dual layer composite material light enough for reducing the energy requirement to propel the capsule.
• The material is plugged-in and innervated with thousands of sensors designed to transmit diagnostic information wirelessly.
• The material captures the real time data on temperature, damage, structural integrity etc. to craft the capsules for the tubular transit system.
• It is eight times stronger than aluminium and ten times stronger than any steel.

Hyperloop in India:

• In September 2017, Andhra Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understandingMoU with Hyperloop Transportation Technology to develop a hyperloop between Amravati and Vijayavada.
• In February 2018, Maharashtra government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyperloop One, an American company to develop a hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai.

Significance

• Hyperloop technology is revolutionary intervention in transportation technology. Once developed fully, it could make the transportation of people and goods easier, faster and less expensive.
• The Pune-Mumbai hyperloop route will be an economic catalyst for the region and would create tens of thousands of jobs for India's world-class manufacturing, construction, service, and IT sectors.
• It also aligns with Make in India initiatives.

Learning Aid