The future of ground transport is a pod that will move at the speed of sound according to Brogan Bambrogan, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Hyperloop Technologies, who believes the Hyperloop concept will change the face of high-speed transportation.
Sharing technology insights at a parallel session on day two of the World Government Summit 2016, Bambrogan compared the innovation of the Hyperloop concept to the innovations of the aviation, high-speed rail and cargo industries that came before it.
He said: “Innovation has led all forms of transportation. Today, we are stepping on the shoulders of those who have led the rail, airline and cargo industries.”
The Hyperloop concept was first put forward by Elon Musk, product architect of Tesla Motors. The technology has been open-sourced by Musk and SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturing company founded by Musk at which Bambrogan previously worked as engineer.
Speaking about the potential of Hyperloop, Bambrogran said: “Hyperloop offers a multitude of opportunities that will change the way we live our lives.”
An integrated system, where every component could be controlled by the operator, Hyperloop will not only transport passengers, but also enable transportation of goods and cargo between ports at very high-speeds, increasing efficiency and productivity across industries.
Noting that Hyperloop Technologies continued to innovate extensively and would deliver on its promise, Bambrogan asked future governments how they would use the tool to help their citizens.
One of the major questions that emerged from the session was the issue of the cost of Hyperloop technology. Bambrogan said that bringing costs down was a key element of the innovation and continued evolution of Hyperloop.
He said: “We absolutely believe that we can deploy Hyperloop at less cost than high-speed rail. As we innovate more deeply, we will cut costs by more than 50%. We believe Hyperloop will be almost free to ride in the next 10-15 years.”
The World Government Summit convenes over 3,000 personalities from 125 countries. The summit has lined up more than 70 topics through keynote speakers and major interactive sessions, drawing the participation of world leaders, ministers, decision makers, CEOs, innovators, officials, experts, entrepreneurs, academics, and university students. A number of initiatives, reports and studies are also being launched during the summit and throughout the year. WGS 2016 will concluded on February 10 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.