“Third Thumb” Augmentation Changes the Way we Think of Prosthetics
Present Day
SpaceX and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is about to bore the hell out of Los Angeles, California – by creating a multi-layered tunneling infrastructure, that is. Known as The Boring Company, Musk founded the infrastructure and tunneling company late last year, revealing his latest ambitions in establishing the future of transportation. And just yesterday, the company finally released a video which revealed a concept design for his vision.
As shown in the video, which is provided below, Musk aims to develop a mass underground transit network, allowing cars stuck in traffic above ground to be shuttled to their destination at around 130mph. Due to its 3D structure, there would be plenty of room for the construction of multiple layers of tunnels that’ll crisscross one another with ease. This will allow a far more efficient means of transport for those driving in a city with a high traffic population density.
So far, the company has begun construction of a 30-foot-wide, 50-foot-long, and 15-foot-deep “test trench” at SpaceX’s headquarters. Images of the boring machine being used have already popped up online, indicating how serious Musk (and his newfound company) are in getting this project up off the ground – so to speak.
Near Future
Five to ten years from now, Los Angeles could become the hotbed of a mass underground transit system, as envisioned by Musk. It will serve as a prime example of how the rest of the country should follow suit to help alleviate traffic on the surface. By the ten-year mark, a large portion of California could potentially begin integrating this network as well.
On the surface, however, traffic will also decline as more and more people begin using public transportation systems like self-driving taxies. These self-driving vehicles will also be intelligent enough to determine whether surface-based or underground-based transportation will provide the safest and quickest route to the passenger’s destination.
“If you think of tunnels going 10, 20, 30 layers deep (or more), it is obvious that going 3D down will encompass the needs of any city’s transport of arbitrary size.”
– Elon Musk
FAR FUTURE
Thirty to fifty years from now, public automated transportation will have taken over the surface, underground, and our skies. On the surface, there will be a mass fleet of subscription-based, app-based, self-driving vehicles that’ll be completely fueled using solar energy. Underground, passengers will be using automated transportation systems, as provided by The Boring Company and Hyperloop.
As for our skies, flying cars will have finally become a reality. In fact, they’ll likely be self-flying, not only increasing the efficiency of the transportation system, but equally its safety parameters as well. Each vehicle will be designed using advanced drone technology and will operate under a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) system. No matter where your destination may be, this 3D transportation network will finally bring an end to the extremely dangerous gamble of humans driving on the road.
Photo Credit: The Boring Company
About the author
B.J. Murphy is the Editor and Social Media Manager of Serious Wonder. He is a futurist, philosopher, activist, author and poet. B.J. is an Affiliate Scholar for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) and an Ambassador for the robotics company Humai.
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