Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled the prototype of the Hyperloop for the first time in the world, in collaboration with Virgin Hyperloop One, a US-based start-up developing super high-speed transportation systems, at the ongoing UAE Innovation Month.  

The ‘UAE Innovation Month 2018’ kicked-off at the start of February and will continue until the end of the month. It will be held across all seven emirates, with the final week of specialised events taking place in Dubai.

Announcing this on Wednesday, Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the RTA board of executive directors, said the Hyperloop was part of RTA’s initiatives for Dubai Future Accelerators.

"RTA and Virgin Hyperloop One have made considerable progress in the technical, engineering and economic feasibility study of the project. This includes identifying the routes for operating the Hyperloop along with its initial design model, which is being exhibited for the first time in the world," he stated.

The Hyperloop boasts deluxe interiors, cutting-edge broadcasting and display of information and entertainment materials as well as leather seats. The Hyperloop technology uses an electromagnetic propulsion system to accelerate the movement of goods and services through a vacuum tube.

Rob Lloyd, the chief executive of Virgin Hyperloop One, said: "The UAE and RTA were early supporters of our hyperloop technology, so it is particularly exciting to be unveiling the Dubai Hyperloop pod with the RTA here today."

"Our focus in 2018 would be continuing the close collaboration with RTA to progress to the next phase of the project. Our aim would be to explore the viability of a wider UAE Hyperloop network," he added.

The system is designed to assist the levitation of the capsule slightly off the track within the tube and move it at speed up to 1,200 km per hour. Accordingly, the Hyperloop can travel between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes, and lift about 10,000 passengers per hour in both directions.

“When introduced in future, the Hyperloop technology will impact the town planning and the availability of parking spaces. It will revolutionise people mobility between various destinations in the city, logistical hubs like airports and ports, and shipping patterns,” observed Al Tayer.

Apart from the Hyperloop, RTA is also exhibiting several novel initiatives such as autonomous pods, high-frequency express buses, and the Urban Mobility Innovation Index (UMii).

"The launch of these initiatives is in implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the city into the smartest one in the world," said Al Tayer.

"It is also part of RTA’s efforts to provide autonomous transport, which requires carrying out technological tests on these means under Dubai’s climatic conditions. It reflects RTA’s strategy to transform 25 per cent of total journeys in Dubai into driverless transport using different means by 2030," he stated.

"The strategy is focused on integrating public transit means with people’s happiness through the provision of smooth, express and innovative mobility means that support the efforts of ranking the UAE among the top 20 countries in the UMii by 2021," he added.

During the UAE Innovation Month, the RTA will also exhibit the self-driving transport pods project which will undergo trial runs as announced by the RTA during the World Government Summit.

"These pods, the first-of-their-kind worldwide, have been designed to travel over short and medium distances on dedicated lanes. They can be coupled in 15 to 20 seconds or detached, depending on the destination of riders, in five seconds," explained Al Tayer.

They are fitted with cameras and electromechanical technologies to carry out the coupling and detaching processes, and this feature can be activated in-motion. Each pod is designed to travel short and medium distances and has a capacity to accommodate 10 riders (six seated, four standing),” added Al Tayer.

The RTA will also exhibit the UMii with the aim of maximising potential benefits, enhancing collaboration with cities, benchmarking mobility innovation, providing a database of cities with advanced innovative mobility, and the ranking and benchmarking various mobility innovation pillars measured by the Umii.-TradeArabia News Service