4 nations issued warnings on funder linked to uSky 10-28-2021
The AP reports that New Zealand, Belgium, and Lithuania have issued notices to exercise caution with regard to the Belarus company, warning of a potential scam. Italy has barred sales of SkyWay shares. Key takeaways:
• A spox for uSky says its client has no legal or financial relations with Skyway. Anatoli Unitsky's uSky project had used the name SkyWay until, a spox says, it learned of harm to the brand by "inappropriate persons and companies."
• The UAE research park Sharjah says uSky is a tenant and a real and legitimate project, but Sharjah has not provided it funding. An official said they are aware of the connection with SkyWay, but defended the project.
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Progress report: Supraways "air shuttle" 10-25-2021
The Lyon company references grant from the department of Auvergne Rhone-Alpes for its 7-9 seat suspended vehicle concept. Founder Claude Escala claims costs a tenth of conventional rail and metro; economics of business plan depends on off-peak movement of freight.
Supraways illustration
Supraways illustration
Interest in Versailles area in demonstrator system serving 3 Paris Olympics venues.
• Supraways goes to demonstration before testing 10-28-2021
€1 million award for work on Supra cabin and safety
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Includes video of man boarding prototype car; shell doors open/close; car leaves berth, enters at-grade guidepath.
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Zip Infrastructure introduced its Zippar concept last year, in appearance a cross between the popular gondola/ropeway and the styling of Unitsky. In addition to cables on straightaways, Zippar appears to employ zones with running surfaces for merges, diverges, and curves. Is it PRT? The in-track switch would indicate not (:28 of the scale model video).
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Meet the PRT Brigade - Transit docents help travelers navigate the WVU PRT. 8-18-2021
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West Virginia: PRT reopens with new features after more than a year of COVID closure 8-4-2021
Larger tires for stability; interior upgrades; arrival time display; wireless upgrade; evaluation of demand mode; Beechhurst Station renovations.
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String Transport testing underway 7-22-2021
CNN: These futuristic pods could help cities solve their traffic problems 7-22-2021
Known earlier as String Transport and Unitsky String Transport, uSky aka SkyWay began testing in June at a UAE innovation park. Images show both passenger and cargo configurations. Is it PRT? Previous depictions of the technology cast doubt on whether uSky fits the definition of PRT, as the concrete-and-cable guideway has only been shown running in straight lines, leaving open the question of how switching would be accomplished. This finally seems to have been answered in this video, showing a gantry-like merge/diverge zone.
uSky passenger pod. -Frame from Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park video
Upper: uSky passenger pod. -Frame from Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park video
Lower: Merge zone. -Frame from American Univ. of Sharjah video
Merge zone. -Frame from American Univ. of Sharjah video
• Sharjah aims to become the first city to roll-out high-speed skypod transport 6-8-2021
• Sharjah’s sky pods to zip you through city at 120kmph; "many more regulatory requirements" 6-8-2021
• Sharjah debuts UAE’s first high-speed electric sky pod 6-8-2021
• uSky plans 310 mph intercity capability; bigger test system in November, commercial system in 2023. 6-9-2021
• Sharjah's uSky transport technology 6-15-2021
• uSky gets the cover of Aug. 2021 Construction Week 8-1-2021
• UAE certification received, per @SWC_En (photo) 9-6-2021
• Unitsky 'climate solution' 10-1-2021
Unitsky-supported overview in CleanTechnica on the company's string-rail concept: structure is 10 times stronger than conventional bridges and trestles; tested under freezing conditions at Techiia holding company's EcoTechnoPark in Belarus; models include suspended pods and cargo carriers of various sizes, and supported and suspended high speed GRT on truss guideway.
• Unitsky seeks $230M for high-speed "uFlash" transport system 10-30-2021
• uSky pod system finishes first phase of test system at Sharjah 10-31-2021
• uSky shipping container terminal under construction 8-18-2022
The uSky test center at the UAE's Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park is to have a shipping container terminal by December. Visitors will be able to view uSky moving shipping containers "at high speed," along with passenger pods on the same guideway.
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The Advanced Transit Association reports its efforts with the American Society of Civil Engineers, to adapt that organization's definitive Automated People Mover Standards to personal rapid transit, have been successful. Pod transit designers have objected to parts of the APM Standards for decades. Now edition 21-21 of the standards addresses 'Automated Transit Networks' by name, and removes the 'brick wall stop' requirement for ATNs. This change frees up ATN technology to potentially achieve higher speeds and capacities. PRT can now truly become urban mass transit, beyond first/last mile service. PRT designers outside the United States hoping to enter the American market would be wise to follow the APM Standards.
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Minister of Infrastructure Claver Gatete (R) and Vuba CEO/Founder Paul Klahn -Rwanda MoI photo
Minister of Infrastructure Claver Gatete (R) and Vuba CEO/Founder Paul Klahn -Rwanda MoI photo
Arranging financing for PPP and doing technical development; ambitious 2024 target; hope to cover all of Kigali; goals of Made-in-Rwanda product and Rwandan ownership.
Self-driving cars might never be able to drive themselves: Marketplace reports it doesn't take much to make a driverless algorithm dumb. 5-21-2021
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People, Pods, and Progress 5-17-2021
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