Future technology at the World Government Summit 2016

Brogan BamBrogan, CTO and co-founder of Hyperloop Technologies, presented a session at the World Government Summit in Dubai entitled The Future of Transport: Transiting Near the Speed of Sound.

The Hyperloop has been called the "fifth mode of transport" after planes, trains, automobiles and boats. The prototype high-speed transport system is based on pressurised tubes that carry capsule-like pods large enough to carry humans and cargo.

Capable of reaching maximum speeds of up to 760 mph (1,220 km/h), the Hyperloop’s inner tubes are maintained at a reduced air pressure (not quite at a vacuum) to reduce air resistance. The capsule effectively "flies" on a cushion of air and is pushed along by air compressors.

As futuristically fanciful as the Hyperloop sounds, the system is real in as much as a prototype test track is already under construction in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to BamBrogan, “Hyperloop is a revolutionary transport technology that is an example of futuristic, disruptive thinking in a sector that is crucial to society, prosperity and human development. We examine the sources and dynamics of innovation and ask how governments, companies and independent labs should be working together to accelerate us into the future of transportation.”