Two weeks after providing a sneak peek, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled the design for the Hyperloop autonomous transportation system in Dubai today. In partnership with Hyperloop One, BIG has designed Hyperloop One “Portals” and “Pods” that can take passengers between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 12 minutes, a journey that would normally take a two-hour drive.
Stations will be called “portals” and will not feature waiting halls—a nod to how fast the ride between the two cities will be, as well as to the frequency of departures and arrivals. BIG calls this “travel on demand.” “The main objective of the design is to eliminate waiting from the passenger experience,” a statement noted.
Passengers will board “pods” in groups of six, which are then moved onto a “transporter,” or a pressure vessel attached to a chassis for levitation and propulsion, that can travel up to 1,100 kilometers per hour (approximately 684 miles per hour). The pods are autonomous from the transporter and can travel on regular roads and pick up passengers at any point.
Josh Giegel, President of Engineering at Hyperloop One, had this to say:
Together with BIG, we have worked on a seamless experience that starts the moment you think about being somewhere—not going somewhere. We don’t sell cars, boats, trains, or planes. We sell time.
Quite the lofty claim, but can’t say we’re not intrigued.