London Heathrow Pods (PRT) timelapse

This is the London Heathrow PRT system by Ultra Global. These pods have a burst of color now, due to advertisements wrapping the vehicles. Some shots are regular speed while others are time lapsed.
On a software side, it is interesting to see the pods position themselves to ensure they are charged up. A pod with a full battery will leave the station with no passengers to allow another pod to begin charging.
During another visit, something telling occurred. I was at Business Parking Station A where there are two bays. There were no pods present in either bay so I hailed a pod using the touch screen requesting a ride to Terminal 5. About 30 seconds later, a vacant pod arrived at the bay next to me, and the doors remained closed. I waited another 30 seconds for a pod to arriving in my bay, but none came. I simply cancelled the pod I requested and stepped over to the other bay, used the touch screen and got in that pod. The empty pod must have been traveling to Station A before I requested a pod and the routing must have been to the left bay. It is very interesting that pods can not change their destination while in route. The ability to change their routing at any time would add to the flexibility of the whole system.
In my video, there is another example of this. There are four pods at Station A; two in the station bays, and two queued on the main track just before the station. When an occupied pod approached and has to drop someone off at the station, both of the queued pods pulled into the station, before leaving. This is another case where changing the destination of a vacant pod while in route would be very beneficial. The occupied pod was slightly delayed while all the parking, and backing up was taking place.

[@user-ek9wq1ev9g]

Great Video Guys! You forgot to mention that you can save substantially on the Heathrow Express if you book 30-60 and evan 90 days in advance. I booked 90 days out and only paid €5.20 for the 17 minute ride from Paddington to Heathrow. Thanks Again!!

[@ruzzelladrian907]

These Heathrow pods are so underrated.

[@ruzzelladrian907]

Futuristic is the norm now. They're fucking adorable.

[@MrSquareart]

Very very nice video!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@andrelot]

Cool video! I read that the PRT is very reliable and rarely if ever is shut down.

[@6yjjk]

So frustrating to see that this was built with future expansion in mind, three hotels and BA's headquarters a stone's throw away, and that expansion's never happened. Last time I was at T5 I figured I'd get a pod over to the Thistle and have lunch there; they wanted £5 to get through the gate from the business car park and another £5 to get through again to ride the pod back, so I didn't bother and rode back again for free.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

That's too bad. I walked around the neighborhood a few years ago when I rode it.

[@TravelToTheWorldAaliyahtravel]

Thanks for upload

[@darladoxstater8528]

These things are adorable!

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Darla Doxstater I think so too! It’s funny we can like robotic taxis so much!

[@speedbird-bw5cq]

I think it's a damn shame they've covered them in adverts. They've completely blocked the side windows making the inside less light and airy and more claustrophobic. Plus, I really liked the purple blending to white. I thought it looked really nice!

[@El_Transportacoches_33]

Why Pods are running in the right, when the cars are in the left?

[@andyt817]

lets build the pods from Pittsburgh international airport to downtown Pittsburgh

[@ItsEricAZ]

The Heathrow Q6 Business Plan (2014-2019) includes pods to T3 and future T2. It sounds like they'll build it after T2 is finished,perhaps in the 2015/16 timeframe.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thanks

[@L.M1792]

Or further parking lanes opposite the docking ports for charging, leaving the through way clear for exiting and docking pods. Or an extra lane as you approach the docking port with ramps dipping to an underneath level docking port (should docking bays be full). The exit (on customers walking side) would simply be a few steps or a ramp to reconnect with the higher level track’s exit point. Still think the top speed is to slow, an increase of 10mph would leave the customer’s journey a more satisfying experience. Of course the entire project is for they who don’t find flying akin to terrorising your own senses. Good luck up there.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

Thanks for the comment. I would love to see this system expanded to more car parks and also hotels and terminals. Right now, I don't consider this a true PRT system because its so small and the two stations are in the same parking lot (car park) only a 2 minute walk from each other.

[@LuLu-wq2gt]

They're so cute hahaha

[@MrSquareart]

I hope that it will it expand the heathrow pods to more area around the heathrow airport. soon

[@JONOVID]

the more people use them, the more of them you will see.

[@MooseTurder]

I'm sorry... but at 2:00 when the pods started circling... I had to open another browser so I could play the Benny Hill chase music :)

[@chasehardygang3702]

Christopher Su

[@chasehardygang3702]

Christopher Sutter Llllll

[@user-mx7gs4xz1f]

Это круто!

[@sooper2dooper3]

2:38 one pod isn't even on the tracks....oh dear....how did it get on to the dirt?

[@OneWildTurkey]

I thought PRT stood for Personal RAPID Transit. Those aren't very rapid at all. Thanks for the video Luke. Your description shows that the software is still lacking a great deal.

[@allsortsofthingsnow]

Rapid in comparison to the buses they replaced!

[@JONOVID]

its not rapid transit its slow transport at just 32 kph. but its fun to ride an autonomous golf cart that can save you time on congested airport roads.

[@digital2010entity]

If they made a merg rail beam wheels on those pods bottom, it could go just as fastfoward of this video was, instead of those ugly high fences.

[@Luke_Starkenburg]

In South Korea, there is a PRT system using elevated rails instead of rubber tires. I still would like to check this out someday.

[@JONOVID]

its not personal its public transport. its not rapid transit its slow transport at just 32 kph. but its fun to ride an autonomous golf cart that can save you time on congested airport roads. its true, some elevators can move horizontally. if your in London Heathrow ride it. just for fun!

[@eggaweb]

That's the average speed, the average speed of the light rail in Sydney is 15 km/h.

[@user-hq4lq6st3l]

ที่ไหน?

[@johnwang9914]

I guess someday, someone will reject a pod because it has the adverts of a company he or she wishes to boycott. As to the inductive charging pad being at the station, I would've had the last bay or two of the queuing circle be the charging pad so that whatever pod is at the station can be expected to already have sufficient charge to accept customers immediately. This would also allow fewer queing charging circles than stations. After all, we don't have fuel pumps at every bus stop and why would we put a discharged pod at a station where people expect to hop in to immediately go somewhere.

[@SamSitar]

this is a horizontal version of destination dispatch.

[@JONOVID]

some elevators can move horizontally

[@PiArChan]

its a half-life train

[@faisalez2250]

Walsh prt

[@Brungraff]

Is this a Theme Park?

[@allsortsofthingsnow]

An airport.

[@cfranko1860]

This is the heathrow airport in London

[@digital2010entity]

Lolz if only they made high velocity trans and pod carts like a theme park, it be safer

[@yutoyasasi]

まあ良くわ分からないけど明らかに新しい乗り物分かるなぜなら無音だから

[@mbukukanyau]

I do not like them pods. I would rather walk

[@nudgenudgewinkwink3212]

Seems like an expensive gimmick to me i cant see the point and i bet it isn't cheap either.