The ride is actually really smooth, the bumps you hear are the sounds of the wheels going along the systems in the ground, lights etc.. and It really does get up to speed in comparison to buses which go to every car park at about 10 mph..
@benobve you have time to sit down before the pod starts moving. very fast for that distance. i like the helpful voice. WVU's pod system doesn't have the voice. she is very helpful.
@Dalimar PRT is more efficient and uses less energy than buses while being more convenient. Up to 4 passengers use a pod at a time. Pods are available more frequently(2-3x/minute as opposed to 4-6x/hour) than buses so passenger loads are not required to make the system efficient. Buses are only efficient when large numbers of people wait for a bus. The initial outlay is expensive, but operating costs are much lower than buses or trams. The initial outlay is less expensive than trams.
Wow those things are cool, yet very strange. It appears to be somewhat of a rough and unstable ride. I would like to see how that system is working on a busy day. Once again, very neat!!
@xDoubleZer00x Its' bumpy because the camera can't really rest on anything. The seats are actually quite comfortable for the ride. And, just as a tidbit: The ULTra PRT is $10-15 million USD per mile. Maglev technology, which is still rather confined to Asia and still experimental in some stages, would cost about ten times that. So it probably wouldn't be free to ride, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a personal car :P
I think if I'd designed them, I'd have had a weight apparatus on the axles, so you could tell if they were over-full, or empty. or if someone had left their bag in there.
@DalimarBlackheart Well, the pods take 4 persons per pod. Secondly they only run when there is a need as opposed to the normal buses which will loop around all the time (perhaps with only one passenger). They are also lightweight and small compared to a buss meaning the roadways etc are less expensive compared to the needs of a bus. Think of the system more like escalators i.e. rather than having a lump of passengers every 15 minutes the system moves passengers in a continual stream instead
So we here in good old Australia love the look of these pods but will we ever get them? Not bloody likely. We don't even have trains that travel between states . . . driving between Sydney and Brisbane is far faster than train travel even though in the real world, trains are much faster than cars. Gee these pods look great . . . congrats Heathrow. Come on Australia.
@randomross0426 25mph. It doesn't seem that fast until you realize that most forms of public transportation don't have average speeds higher than 20 when they have to stop at every station.
So much cameras on the way... I think the people in charge of this worry too much the people will do mischief. But then again, I think I share the same worry. I actually want to see if the thing will stop if something goes in front of it, like say, a person. Or would it just run over it?
cool , i would like this systhem everywhere there is a busroute... they should have had it for the olympics... the voice is cool , very suiting woman hihihi stil find it strange though that a british invention implemented on british soil drives on the right.... and not on the left like al transport mmmm never got it becouse i think it could have been a left driven serquit easely.... and part from the bumps that thing goes fast.... faster then you think it wil... i want
I don't know what the top speed is but I know it get's going quite fast on the long straits and long turns.. I would say about 15-20 mph don't quote me on that because i'm horrible with telling speed :)
The ride is actually really smooth, the bumps you hear are the sounds of the wheels going along the systems in the ground, lights etc.. and It really does get up to speed in comparison to buses which go to every car park at about 10 mph..
I am designing a hotel for a school project and this gave me inspiration thanks
@benobve you have time to sit down before the pod starts moving. very fast for that distance. i like the helpful voice. WVU's pod system doesn't have the voice. she is very helpful.
Brilliant idea, would love to see it in other airports :)
@Dalimar PRT is more efficient and uses less energy than buses while being more convenient. Up to 4 passengers use a pod at a time. Pods are available more frequently(2-3x/minute as opposed to 4-6x/hour) than buses so passenger loads are not required to make the system efficient. Buses are only efficient when large numbers of people wait for a bus. The initial outlay is expensive, but operating costs are much lower than buses or trams. The initial outlay is less expensive than trams.
Wow those things are cool, yet very strange. It appears to be somewhat of a rough and unstable ride. I would like to see how that system is working on a busy day. Once again, very neat!!
Very cool. Very "Logan's Run".
yes, they need it first. also they have plans to extend the LHR pod system as well.
wow really free :-) If I ever get to Britain, I must visit this and try it :-)
@xDoubleZer00x
Its' bumpy because the camera can't really rest on anything. The seats are actually quite comfortable for the ride. And, just as a tidbit: The ULTra PRT is $10-15 million USD per mile. Maglev technology, which is still rather confined to Asia and still experimental in some stages, would cost about ten times that. So it probably wouldn't be free to ride, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a personal car :P
I've actually watched all the way :-)
The last minite reminded me of the opening sequence to the original Half life game. :)
I think if I'd designed them, I'd have had a weight apparatus on the axles, so you could tell if they were over-full, or empty. or if someone had left their bag in there.
@DalimarBlackheart Well, the pods take 4 persons per pod.
Secondly they only run when there is a need as opposed to the normal buses which will loop around all the time (perhaps with only one passenger). They are also lightweight and small compared to a buss meaning the roadways etc are less expensive compared to the needs of a bus. Think of the system more like escalators i.e. rather than having a lump of passengers every 15 minutes the system moves passengers in a continual stream instead
So we here in good old Australia love the look of these pods but will we ever get them? Not bloody likely. We don't even have trains that travel between states . . . driving between Sydney and Brisbane is far faster than train travel even though in the real world, trains are much faster than cars. Gee these pods look great . . . congrats Heathrow. Come on Australia.
Cool, but they should've made the pods look like the Tardis from Dr. Who
I love how they call it a 'Ride'
@mattsayshalo Does it go exactly where you want to go without stopping?
Sweet! Now if only the planes were free.
@zaghy2zy im pretty sure they would put sensors in for things like that
When are they going to expand the system to more area around the heathrow airport??
The future is here! This is what I also have in mind for the future of cars.
OMG SO AWESOME!!!!
wow, that looks incredibly bumpy...
awesome..
nice!
@randomross0426 25mph. It doesn't seem that fast until you realize that most forms of public transportation don't have average speeds higher than 20 when they have to stop at every station.
Do you think that I would be aloud to go to Heathrow just to travel on these things? or would I have to go on a plane????
so its a bit like a guided busway but it is laser driven
So much cameras on the way... I think the people in charge of this worry too much the people will do mischief. But then again, I think I share the same worry.
I actually want to see if the thing will stop if something goes in front of it, like say, a person. Or would it just run over it?
Please add to the system to go to more places around the airport!!!!!!
Lol , you an start wheneven you want ? 'Clicking start ? Thats like a lift :D
How does it guide itself along the road/track?
where can i find them on terminal 5
If there is no driver. Why do they have lights front and back..?
cool , i would like this systhem everywhere there is a busroute...
they should have had it for the olympics...
the voice is cool , very suiting woman hihihi
stil find it strange though that a british invention implemented on british soil drives on the right.... and not on the left like al transport mmmm never got it becouse i think it could have been a left driven serquit easely....
and part from the bumps that thing goes fast.... faster then you think it wil... i want
I don't know what the top speed is but I know it get's going quite fast on the long straits and long turns.. I would say about 15-20 mph don't quote me on that because i'm horrible with telling speed :)
no it is automated like a lift
@SprucePlywood So people can see them coming at night I guess
looks a bit bumpy, should have used maglev.
Wheeeeeeee........
Is it free?
Yes.
looks like really poor riding comfort.
Heathrow? Why are the pods driving on the right side (the correct side) of the road? Americans must have built it. :-)....
this nothing new same as the West Virginia University PRT short for personal rapid transit
in Morgantown, WV