How do you get to your city in the future? Can I hire a flying taxi from Dubai to Riyadh? How fast can I reach my place in the near future?

Ever wondered about how the transportation in the next decade will look like? Read on the blog to see the foreseen!

It’s pretty amazing to see how inventors are spinning the wheel again especially in the transportation sector. Since the invention of air travel in the late sixties, the world felt like a small place and now it is possible to fly around the globe, learn new cultures and meet new people.

While the introduction of air travel have made our lives very comfortable and fast but there is always scope to improvise which is why companies want to make the world seem more connected and smaller through various technological interventions in the transportation sector.

The idea of travelling fast has never been this important as it is now and the technology is clearly advancing to an extent that 5th mode of transportation has recently invented which is called Hyperloop- superfast pods that move as fast as 800 miles/h. Cars are driving themselves, drones are transporting carriages, and trains will use magnetic rail systems.

Ever dreamed of exploring Dubai but been put off by the long flight? Well, a journey from Riyadh to Dubai might take only 46 minutes in the next decade.

The best part? Most of these are set to be in the public domain within the next 10 years or have already started working. Companies are working to integrate these new concepts safety within the existing systems.

Without further delay, here are 6 new transportation concepts that will change the way of travel in the near future.

Self-driving cars

Self-driving or autonomous car is probably the future of personal transportation. Soon your car will be able to drive you faster and safer, while you sit back in the seat. Getting around the unfamiliar places in the city would be as simple as opening an app and renting an autonomous car.

While self-driving cars are already on the roads e.g. in Dubai but it is yet to be allowed legally for the commuters. But Roads and Transportation Authority (RTA) has revealed that such vehicles will be a fixture on the Dubai roads soon.

There is a number of companies that are working on this technology that range from traditional companies like BMW and Volkswagen to tech-driven companies like Tesla, Uber, and Google. However, the most active in this field is Tesla that is constantly working on the updates to improvise the capabilities of these cars. Also, Google is hoping to bring its autonomous car to the market by 2020.

Magnetic levitation (maglev)

First introduced by a British engineer Eric Laithwaite in the 1940s, maglev or magnetic levitation makes use of powerful magnetic propel to direct the train along the straight path.

Although it been decades since the technology was introduced maglev has till now failed to reach the public domain expect in Japan and China. This high-speed train currently links Shanghai airport to the city center and runs at a speed of 430 km/h.

These two nations are currently testing the high-speed trains to define the next chapter of the high-speed transportation. In this regard, Japan recently approved Superconducting magnetic levitation or SCmaglev to run from Tokyo to Osaka from 2027. The train, when completed, will run at the speed of 500km per hour. Also, China is currently testing a similar prototype where it is targeting a speed of 1000km per hour.

Supersonic jets

Though supersonic jets have been here for a while it has been reserved for the military only. But it is going be in public domain soon as many start-ups are working on the next generation of the supersonic jets that will make travel faster and efficient.

The company that is leading the work currently is Boom whose goal is to build a 55 seated supersonic jet that will fly from London to New York in just 3 hours and 15 minutes. The jet will take to skies soon for testing and Boom hopes it to make public in 2025.

Hyperloop

The concept was first introduced by Elon Musk that aims to revolutionize the transportation system. This modern concept will bring the airplane speed beneath the ground through electronically levitated pods. The concept makes use of an electric motor to run these pods through the low-pressure tube.

There is a number of projects that are currently under development and testing phase, once completed the Hyperloop will carry passengers at 700 mph.

Global heavyweights are investing heavily in such projects. Hyperloop One has already completed 500 m test track in North Las Vegas and is set to operational by 2021. UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, India are hoping to have the Hyperloop soon. After completion of the project, travel time will decrease greatly and the best part is that the system is designed to be environment-friendly, quiet and autonomous. The journey from Dubai to Riyadh will be completed in 46 minutes with this system and one can travel to Dubai from Sharjah in just 12 minutes.

Hyperloop is going to be a game changer and the world will look like a small place where places can be travelled in minutes.

Flying cars

Flying cars is no more the future thing as the world’s first flying car is set to be in the public domain soon and the pre sales are scheduled to start in the next month. The flying car will be able to switch between the driving and the flying mode in a minute.

There are a number of companies working on the concept of the flying cars. While one is testing the sky taxis, another is working on the hovering go-kart and others are working on the improvement to the current flying cars. All in all start-ups and technocrats all over the world are getting into this game, each with a goal of making a safe, robust, and faster flying car that we have ever thought of.

Gyroscopic Vehicles

Flying cars are cool but too complicated. Hovering vehicles or gyrocars are run by monorails and balanced through modern gyroscopes. Gyroscopic vehicle is still a concept but it can solve traffic congestion problem issues across the globe if realized. The gyrocars look like they are out of some science fiction, but they could become reality in the near future and maybe you can travel in a gyro car in a decade or so.

The Road to Future

Future of transportation is anything but clear. New innovations and technological intervention are scripting the future. It is just about the time, as these concepts get realised and people travel from places at the speed of sound. It is the beginning of new breakthroughs and these futuristic projects are proof of fun and exciting times ahead.