Hyperloop Transportation
Technologies has
announced a new technology that's going to raise the hackles of Marvel's
lawyers. The company, in collaboration with Slovakian materials firm c2i, has
created a carbon fiber composite that'll cover the inside and outside of its
capsules. The only issue is that some bright spark decided to call this wonder
material Vibranium. As in the Wakandan rare earth metal that helps Captain
America and Black Panther beat down their foes.
Unlike its fictional namesake, this Vibranium is embedded with a
series of sensors that monitor stability, temperature and integrity. These
sensors are intended to provide continuous feedback to HQ, so that if a pod
gets damaged in transit, it'll be pulled from service as soon as it hits the
dock. The company claims that the material is 10 times stronger than steel and
weighs five times less than aluminum. The plan is that HTT's capsules will use two skins of vibranium the material -- one on the outside,
and one to protect the passenger compartment.
One of the reasons that HTT is working with a Slovakian company
is because it signed a deal in March to partner with the local government. It's
currently researching the potential to build two Hyperloop routes that would
unite Slovakia's capital city, Bratislava, with neighboring capital cities
Vienna and Budapest. Given that the distances involved are reasonably small,
this three-city loop would be an ideal testbed for the technology.
Source: Engadget
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