Sara Luchian - Designing the Future of Transportation at the Intersection of Innovation and Inclusion

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Designing the Virgin Hyperloop: A Greater Commute Experience for Everybody

Welcome to this thrilling exploration into the Virgin Hyperloop: a game-changing mode of mass transit currently making waves. I'm Sarah Luian, the passenger experience director at Virgin Hyperloop, and today I take you through the incredible journey and the fascinating design aspects behind creating an inclusive and intuitive travelling experience for future passengers.

Developing The Virgin Hyperloop: A Start-Up Adventure

As a start-up based in Los Angeles, the Virgin Hyperloop project aims to revolutionize public transport through the development of a superfast mass transit system. My role primarily involves driving research and design decisions to enhance the passenger’s interaction with the Hyperloop. In short, making their travel experience more comfortable, user-friendly, and inclusive.

The Virgin Hyperloop: A New Form of Mass Transit

For those who might not know what a Hyperloop is, it is a new form of mass transit system that involves propelling magnetically levitated vehicles or pods through a vacuum tube at high speeds. Elimination of aerodynamic drag and lack of friction of wheels on the track enables the system to reach mesmerizing speeds of over 600 MPH or 1000 km/hour – on par with an airplane and absolutely electric!

The Impact Of Hyperloop On Urban Life

Imagine the ramifications of such high-speed terrestrial travel. With more than half the world's population residing in cities, housing affordability can be quite challenging. Typically, living on the outskirts provides a solution, but at the cost of longer commutes and increased pollution. However, the Hyperloop presents an exciting alternative: what if cities could be interlinked as subway stations? This could potentially revolutionize urban living, allowing people to live in affordable regions while accessing prime city-centre opportunities.

The Journey Of Designing the Virgin Hyperloop

Our task was to craft a new mode of travel from scratch - a challenge and an opportunity. We started with a vision: transforming mass transit to be more human-centric and welcoming, moving away from an overtly techie vision to focusing on the benefits that the technology enables.

  • Accommodating Differing Needs: We designed the pod to cater to multiple use cases. There is individual seating for introverted or business travelers, while groups of friends or family can sit together.
  • Connecting With The Journey: We learned that passengers wanted to feel involved in their journey. Though window views would be impossible in vacuum tubes, we worked on ensuring passengers felt a sense of their progress and remained connected to the world outside.
  • Inclusive Design: Our ambition for the Hyperloop is to be an inclusive mode of mass transport for everyone. Creating an entirely wheelchair-accessible space is one of our commitments, and we are continuously working to improve accessibility for people with visual, hearing impairments, or who are neurodivergent.

Reflection and The Future of Hyperloop

Designing the future of public transit is no small task, especially when aiming to create an inclusive, efficient, and comfortable passenger experience. Our journey into tomorrow is still ongoing. It is our collective responsibility to envision, support, and build increasingly innovative solutions that shape a better world.

The moment we first rode in the Hyperloop was truly breathtaking. It served as a stark reminder that we were literally moving into the future and that every step taken, every idea materialized, is collectively shaping the world we and future generations will inhabit. The path ahead may not be straight, but I am confident that together, we can create not just a new mode of transportation, but a brighter future for all.

Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey into the future of mass transit.


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