A Hyperloop firm is putting its tech into normal trains

Arjun Kharpal
Updated
A Hyperloop firm is putting its tech into normal trains

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), one of the companies developing a ultrafast mass-transit system, has partnered with one of Europe's largest railway operators to test some of its tech on their trains.

The hyperloop is the brainchild of Tesla boss Elon Musk. A number of companies have been working on developing the transportation system, which works by magnets propelling pods through a tube at around 750 mph.

HTT is teaming up with Germany's Deutsche Bahn, one of Europe's largest rail operators. The partnership will see some of HTT's technology implemented into a new train being developed by Deutsche Bahn.


While the new train, which will be ready for testing at the beginning of 2017, won't use the super-speed technology, it will have new "customer experience" features. One of these is augmented reality windows, where a digital image can be overlayed on the window to the outside world.

"We will work with our community, the designers and Deutsche Bahn to integrate existing technology, create ambience and experience," HTT chief executive Dirk Ahlborn told CNBC by email.

"HTT is solving what's wrong with public transportation through our unique community approach in innovation. We use new technologies, alternative business models, monetization strategies and digitalization to fix those problems. The hyperloop is the best solution, but the technology necessary to build the best solution can be at least partially be used in helping fixing some of today's transportation problems."

HTT has a novel crowdsourcing business model . The project has over 10,000 people who have day jobs at places which include NASA and SpaceX. They all contribute ideas to the project in their free time in return for stock options in the company.

Deutsche Bahn will pay for the creation of the train and implementation of the technology. But HTT has not confirmed whether it would be getting any money from this deal, which could be used as an alternative source of income while the actual hyperloop project is under development.



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