THE INTERIOR DESIGN CHALLENGES OF A HYPERLOOP POD HOW TO ENHANCE THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Although still in its infancy, the Hyperloop project aims to develop a new type of public transport. The concept is to send a capsule, called “pod”, at about 1000km/h in a vacuum tube that would connect two places separated by 500km. One issue is that the pod will be windowless and travel inside a tube made of steel which will influence passenger comfort. This article brings together various domains to explore the different characteristics that can influence the travel experience. As the Hyperloop concept is still in an early stage of development, methods for analyzing the interior design of transportation vehicles, such as Kansei Engineering, Mayr's circle, and the comfort model by Looze have been proposed. Moreover, typical characteristics, such as “Environment”, “Running Factors” and “Service & Installation” have been discussed with respect to “passengers” experience, comfort and safety.