(Arlington, Texas) – 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.
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. 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,” said Michael Morris, P.E., NCTCOG director of transportation. “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. Hyperloop could revolutionize travel and goods movement in fast-growing Texas.
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. For more information, visit
www.hyperloop-one.com.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered in the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. Currently, NCTCOG has 238 member governments including 16 counties, 169 cities, 22 school districts and 31 special districts. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit
www.nctcog.org/trans.
About Virgin Hyperloop One:
Virgin Hyperloop One is the leading hyperloop company launching the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years. The company successfully operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes. The company is now working with governments, partners, and investors around the world to make hyperloop a reality in years, not decades. They currently have projects underway in Missouri, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, the Midwest, India, KSA, and the UAE. Learn more about Virgin Hyperloop One’s technology, vision, and ongoing projects
here.
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