US company Virgin Hyperloop has completed the world’s first human ride on a superfast levitating pod system.
According to the transportation technology company, the ride was conducted on Sunday on its 500-meter (1,640 feet) test track in the US state of Nevada. Virgin Hyperloop cofounder Josh Giegel and passenger experience director Sara Lucian became the first passenger riders.
A two-seater experimental pod was built for the test ride. The production vehicle, however, “will look radically different and seat up to 28 passengers”, the company noted.
During the test, the pod ran at a speed of 48 meters per second (107 miles per hour). The passengers wore regular clothes during the ride.
“You won’t need a spacesuit to go in our vacuum. Virgin Hyperloop is developing the necessary subsystems required to ensure travelling with hyperloop is as safe as riding an elevator”, the company said.
The Hyperloop transport system was developed by US entrepreneur and investor Elon Musk, a prominent figure in the evolution of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, in 2012. According to proposals, the technology will allow for passengers and freight to travel in depressurised, vacuum-sealed tubes at speeds of up to 760 miles per hour.