Comments on: SkyTran - Individual Maglev System

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:45:14 +0000

For the disabled person I suggest using speciall design car without seat or just one seat. In each station there could be a special button for such special enquire and the car can come as required in few minutes. The wheelchair can be moved or drived into the car and locked firmly.

As no need to share with strengers, safty is not a big issue. Offcouse the video camera is still necessary but how much you pay for it today? $10?

I also suggest a “return” or “maintainence” button should be put inside the car. When the car is dirty, the last passenger just need push the return button and then the car goes to the nearby service station to have a service.

One of my friendy ask me if there is a car suddenly stopped on the way, what can we do? If it is a 4 wheels car it can be pushed to next stop by the following car but if it is MEV, how to solve the problem?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:30:32 +0000

Personally I prefer 2 passages instead of 4. The reasons is less weight in each individual moving unit and need a lighter system than running 4 passages car.

If there is an overweight person, he can occupy the car himself.

For the people who use the service, they pay one price from point to point regardless one or two, with or without bagage, just like a taxi.

For a busy station such as a big shopping center, multi-platform and boarding port is necessary.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:15:31 +0000

The first time I noticed this system was 7 or 8 years ago. I think it is a great idea. A few things I would like to explain:

1) compare everyone drive to work, this system saves a lot of energy because the car is much less than a private vehivle with lower efficiency. Greenhouse problem.
2) door to door, no waiting time, not stop etc. Save time.
3) have a rest onboard and no worries about the car accident. Recharge yourself
4) cheaper especilly for todays high petrol price. Keep your money in your pocket.
5) 7 days 24 hours service. You do not need to pay taxi fare but enjoy the same service.
6) …
Oh, too many. But something I still wondering:
1) is the view in the city there are many lines in sky (about 4 ~ 6 meter abiove) accepable?
2) is it effecient in semirural area to build a line for the local people?
3) how to make the people especially the local goverment accept this?

By: spriggig

spriggig — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:16:09 +0000

I’ve been following this for several years, this is a very well thought-out system. The ADA issue has long-since been addressed by a patent-pending system (although not presented in this article). If a rider happens to come across a vandalized car, it can be sent to a central location for cleaning. Since the system knows which access card last used the car, that card can be immediately revoked, locking the vandal out of the system on a first offense. This is not meant to replace ordinary automobiles completely, but it can replace 80% or more of the trips. I wrote to Doug Malewicki about two years ago and actually received a personal reply. Basically, he and two other engineers put a lot of time and effort into this system because they are passionate about it. However, there is a LOT of political crap that needs to be navigated when trying to bring a system like this into reality and Doug has decided he just doesn’t want to deal with it. He’d rather spend his time enjoying his life. He knows this is by-far the best system, he believes in it but he’s just tired of trying to get others to understand it.

By: Smile

Smile — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:10:09 +0000

As I understood it, you can Order two of these to whatever station you are at. Put your luggage in the second one, and put it to slave after which one you are driving. So you can sit in one, and your kids/whatever sits in the other one.

By: Defal Wart

Defal Wart — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:25:46 +0000

Great place to take a shit & will look cool covered with graffiti.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:01:36 +0000

“They look way too small for overweight people, and the steps with no elevators probably violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

Thats why its called a prototype. Do you have any idea how many drafts there are of a particular design before something is finalized?

Its a great idea, especially for city transport. The addition of “family cars” that could sit 4-5 could add to the beneficence.

By: Geoffrey Swenson

Geoffrey Swenson — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:22:35 +0000

The issues about cargo and disabled access are easily solved with this system. You could even have a docking system where a small battery-powered vehicle (or disabled persons wheelchair) would automatically be loaded into the pod, so you could carry heavy packages. You wouldn’t even need to own the vehicle, since it could drive itself back to the stop when it is done.

This is the ultimate system. It isn’t pie in the sky, The technology has finally arrived to do something that people would accept as public transportation, that doesn’t care about hills, that is esthetically attractive, and doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as roads and freeways.

By: Robert Kent

Robert Kent — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:19:16 +0000

It’s been ten years since Doug Malewicki first proposed Skytran, but in that time absolutely NOTHING has been done. They can’t even find the money to build a toy, yet alone a 50 foot demo system.

It seems that the specs have changed recently. The price has more than doubled and the speed reduced from 100 MPH to a mere 45 MPH (see unimodal.com)

This thing will never happen

By: arlene

arlene — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:42:06 +0000

one cable vehicle for two seats… it seems
you cant bring any heavy luggage