One day, we'll be able to zip through tubes at super-fast speeds like "The Jetsons" -- and that day is coming sooner than later thanks to Sir Richard Branson's company ... which just tried it out with humans.
Virgin Hyperloop announced Monday it had successfully tested a Hyperloop ride with a couple of passengers -- 2 company execs -- over the weekend out at their Las Vegas test site.
The track -- which is, in fact, completely tubular -- only runs about 500 meters or so, and because of that ... the pod was only able to reach up to 100 MPH.
Normally, according to techy lore, a full-blown hyperloop track should (theoretically) be capable of firing down a cylinder at around 600 MPH -- which is faster than a freakin' airplane. Unfortunately, this test didn't quite get there ... but by all accounts, it was a huge first step.
If you're unfamiliar with what a hyperloop system is exactly, it's basically propelled by magnets -- with zero friction on the vehicle you're actually traveling in. So, in other words, you're pretty much hovering ... and because of that, sky's the limit as far as speed. Again, in theory.
There are other companies and wizzes that have eyed getting into the hyperloop market -- like Elon Musk, for example -- but with Virgin ... it seems they're the first ones through the gate on this endeavor. There's other hyperloop-like tech already in use in places like Japan and Germany ... where some of their train systems use magnetic tracks.
It's not quite like this though, and if Virgin continues to roll out passenger tests with more success -- not to mention building out their track for faster speeds -- it could open a whole new mode of transportation, the likes of which we've never seen but were always promised.
The future is here! Almost.