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Whatsapp A conceptual design of the Hyperloop transport system, first proposed by Elon Musk.

An ultra-futuristic engineless pod capable of transporting you long distances at the speed of sound via a vacuum in the sky? It could soon become a reality.

One of the leading developers of the futuristic Hyperloop system says Australia would be an ideal location for the ultra-modern transport concept.

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Bibop Gresta, is in Australia as part of the 2016 Pause Fest.

He told RN Drive the high-speed transportation concept originally proposed by Elon Musk that propels passengers within a pod structure through a vacuum tube, would be well suited to Australia.

'We're trying to build the first full-scale Hyperloop in a country with a high-enough density of population, long distances and local infrastructure,' says Mr Gresta.

'There are several options being analysed at the moment, and one of them is for sure Queensland.'

What is it?

'It is a very simple concept, even if it is a very advanced technology,' explains Gresta.

'You take a capsule with 28 people, you put it in a tube, you evacuate the tube by sucking out the air inside the tube, and you can move people from point A to point B at the speed of sound because there's no resistance.'



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Whatsapp The Hyperloop could take passengers from Melbourne to Sydney in an hour.

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Whatsapp A small-scale version of the Hyperloop is under development in California.

The pods are engineless, powered by a combination of solar, wind and geothermal energy.

The system is set across large pylons spaced 60 metres apart.

The prospect of a landscape dotted with towering pylons might seem unappealing, but Gresta believes they're actually part of the project's appeal.

'We create an ecosystem around the pylon, thinking about the land and sustainability,' he says.

'You have a pylon that is also able to produce electricity and water. Inside the business model is involving the landowner in the business, because we are giving back 30 per cent of the electricity that we produce.

'It's a profitable business and doesn't need subsidies from the state.'

A small-scale system is currently being developed in California's Kings County, built down the middle of the highway that connects Los Angeles with San Francisco.

'It will be a short track, only five miles, but it can show to the world that the technology is actually there and is as efficient as we anticipated.'

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story quoted Bibop Gresta saying he had met with representatives from the Queensland State Government. When contacted by RN, a Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said they were not aware of a meeting between department officials and either Gresta or the Hyperloop Transportation Technologies company.