The Future of Transport? Heathrow Airport Launches Automatic Laser-guided Travel Pods
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The future is, apparently, now. Barely two years ago, automatic travel pods were just part of an exhibition on the future of transport held at London’s Science Museum. Today however, they are now part of a revolutionary system adopted by Heathrow Airport to transport passengers from its terminals to the business car park 3.8km away in just five minutes.
The future is, apparently, now. Barely two years ago, automatic travel pods were just part of an exhibition on the future of transport held at London’s Science Museum. Today however, they are now part of a revolutionary system adopted by Heathrow Airport to transport passengers from its terminals to the business car park 3.8km away in just five minutes.
Developed by ULTra, the driver-less travel pods will cut down travel time from the pre-determined destinations by 60 percent. Furthermore as the system is entirely battery operated, they put out zero emissions compared to the traditional buses previously employed.
“There’s an enormous sense of pride for all the staff who were involved in turning this science-fiction dream into a reality at Heathrow and demonstrating the best of British innovation,” said ULTra’s managing director Fraser Brown to the BBC.
The pods were initially devised in 1995 by engineers during a research project at the University of Bristol, where ULTra PRT president and former NASA engineer Martin Lowson was championing its cause.
The pods allow passengers to select their destinations, before using laser sensors to ferry business passengers and their luggage along a 3.8 km route.
Travelling at speeds up to 40km/h, the pods are set up on a demand-based service rather than a fixed timetable, meaning that they would only arrive when a passenger calls for it – using a touch-screen computer system at a specified location. The waiting time though is expected to take less than 34 seconds compared to the 15-minute intervals provided by the bus service. When not in use, the pods are able to recharge its own batteries, ensuring environmental sustainability.
The system is said to have Heathrow Airport nearly £30 million to develop. According to Reuters, India recently announced that it will pilot the system around Delhi and Amritsar and feasibility studies are currently in progress in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States.
The future of transport? Check out this video to see it for yourself:
