Students will converge on AT&T Stadium on Aug. 9 for an up-close look at the technology behind an emerging mode of transportation that could zip passengers to points throughout Texas in minutes.
The Virgin Hyperloop One national roadshow will bring the XP-1 vehicle to AT&T Stadium from August 8-10, providing local officials and students the opportunity to learn more about how the groundbreaking hyperloop system works, Virgin Hyperloop One said in a news release.
The week’s activities will include an invitation-only gathering at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at AT&T Stadium where area students can see the historic hyperloop test vehicle XP-1, along with the real-world demonstrations of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles they have studied that power the technology.
Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, said the company is thankful for the partnership of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Dallas Cowboys, which is making it possible to reach and inspire students.
“We’re thrilled to bring XP-1 to Texas and give the students and people of Arlington a first-hand look at hyperloop technology,” Walder said. “Hyperloop will not only bring regional cities closer together, but it will also bring thousands of new jobs to cities like Arlington and offer enormous opportunity to propel the local economies and technology industries of cities around the world.
“It is important to provide students the opportunity to see the scientific principles that will propel the transportation system they will be riding in the next decade.”
Virgin Hyperloop One will offer the following STEM activity stations, with the XP-1 pod serving as a backdrop:
• Magnetic levitation, including the principles of magnetism, polarity and how it makes hyperloop move • Vacuum chamber, where they can see what happens to various objects in a vacuum, including balloons, feathers and marshmallows • Friction (what is it, how does it affect motion, how can you get rid of it?)
Hyperloop is a new mode of transportation that moves freight and people quickly, safely, on-demand and direct from origin to destination, the news release said.
Hyperloop vehicles, called pods, accelerate gradually via electric propulsion through a low-pressure tube. The pods float above the track using magnetic levitation, gliding at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag.
It is environmentally friendly, with no direct carbon emissions, and is more flexible in the alignments it can support than other modes traveling at similar speeds.
“We are excited Virgin Hyperloop One has chosen to visit our region to showcase its technology,” Michael Morris, P.E., NCTCOG director of transportation, said in the news release. “It shows a recognition of the work done by the Regional Transportation Council and our partners to pursue innovative ways to meet our region’s transportation needs.”
The RTC last year announced its intent to evaluate hyperloop technology in Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Fort Worth-to-Laredo routes.
VHO has run hundreds of tests at a facility in the Nevada desert, with XP-1 reaching speeds of 240 mph. Ultimately, the technology could link North Texans to other regions across the State in minutes.
The VHO roadshow made a stop in Columbus, Ohio, before coming to Arlington and will be in Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Louis, Missouri, next month.
Virgin Hyperloop One currently has projects underway in Missouri, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, the Midwest, India and the UAE.
For more information, visit: www.hyperloop-one.com
– FWBP Staff