Photo: BMW Designworks
Virgin Hyperloop One achieved a major milestone in its quest of making its revolutionary transportation solution a reality in Dubai, after it managed to secure a design for the passenger capsule from BMW’s Designworks division.
The BMW capsule in its prototype shape was presented at City Walk Dubai earlier this year, marking the first time a physical, full-scale hyperloop prototype was shown to a public. Now, further details about the capsule have been released.
When it will be ready, together with the tunnel that will house it, the capsule would be capable of traveling speeds up to 1,080 km/h (671 mph), cutting the travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 12 minutes. That trip usually takes nearly one and a half hours.
The capsule presented by BMW Designworks is the epitome of luxury. And is has to be so, because the thing lacks any windows, so some way of keeping the passengers happy, even for the brief period of time it takes to go from one place to another, had to be designed.
In the BMW capsule, there’s really one thing the designers needed to have in mind when trying to create comfort for the passengers: seating. Enter the adjustable, high tech leather seats.
Each of them come equipped with touchscreens for personal settings for light brightness and color, allowing each passenger to create an oasis of personally-controlled light. Integrated heating and cooling, as well as built-in displays complete the way in which the chairs have been created.
Being meant for an Arab country, the capsule is adorned with cultural references, sprinkled amid the high-tech gadgets.
“With the Virgin Hyperloop One design, we wanted to create a new visual expression for a new mode of public transportation,” said design director Johannes Lampela.
The entire hyperloop system in Dubai is meant to enter operation sometime in 2020. Aside for the Arab country, Richard Branson’s company will also deploy a similar system in India, which would link Pune to Mumbai.
You can read BMW Designworks' press release on the capsule in the document attached below.
When it will be ready, together with the tunnel that will house it, the capsule would be capable of traveling speeds up to 1,080 km/h (671 mph), cutting the travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 12 minutes. That trip usually takes nearly one and a half hours.
The capsule presented by BMW Designworks is the epitome of luxury. And is has to be so, because the thing lacks any windows, so some way of keeping the passengers happy, even for the brief period of time it takes to go from one place to another, had to be designed.
In the BMW capsule, there’s really one thing the designers needed to have in mind when trying to create comfort for the passengers: seating. Enter the adjustable, high tech leather seats.
Each of them come equipped with touchscreens for personal settings for light brightness and color, allowing each passenger to create an oasis of personally-controlled light. Integrated heating and cooling, as well as built-in displays complete the way in which the chairs have been created.
Being meant for an Arab country, the capsule is adorned with cultural references, sprinkled amid the high-tech gadgets.
“With the Virgin Hyperloop One design, we wanted to create a new visual expression for a new mode of public transportation,” said design director Johannes Lampela.
The entire hyperloop system in Dubai is meant to enter operation sometime in 2020. Aside for the Arab country, Richard Branson’s company will also deploy a similar system in India, which would link Pune to Mumbai.
You can read BMW Designworks' press release on the capsule in the document attached below.
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