Hyperloop One Powering Up Its Full-Scale Test Track In Nevada

Do you ever feel like the world is only just getting really, really cool? Isn't there a part of you that wishes you could live a whole lot longer just to see what happens with all the technological advancements that scientists are working on these days? Even when the political world is a mess, the forward thinkers bringing amazing ideas to life have their stuff together. So at least we have that going for us, which is nice. 

Hyperloop One's first full-scale test track, DevLoop, is just about ready to get down to business, new images show.

The 500-meter track located about 30 minutes from Las Vegas seems a bit odd on the surface. Really, it's just a series of elevated tubes that, at hyperloop's full, face-melting speed, would take a couple of seconds to traverse. But it's an important first step.

Until now, we've seen little more than conceptual drawings. The fact that actual tubes are going up in the desert is a sign that this technology is moving from science fiction into the real world at last.

The first test aren't scheduled to start until sometime in the first half of 2017, and we're all sitting on the edges of our chairs to see how that goes down. Some of the most interested viewers will be in the Middle East.

The first commercial installation will be built in the United Arab Emirates, linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

At present, that 100-mile journey takes about two hours. Hyperloop One expects to be able to send cargo between those cities in just 12 minutes. 

Hyperloop One is just one of a few companies trying to bring Elon Musk's vision to life. Although they went through some corporate drama in 2016, the company seems to be back on track.

It looks like they even have plans beyond Abu Dhabi and Dubai. You can't say this company lacks ambition!

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