Let's Take the Pod to the Plane Now at Britain's Heathrow Airport bustling at speeds of up to 25 m.p.h., the newly debuted personal rapid transport (PRT) pods are whizzing travelers around the airport. They are spacious enough to carry four passangers and fast enough to bring riders between various car parks and three stations at Terminal 5 in less than five minutes. They do this with no gas, just electricity, which means they release zero carbon emissions into the air. Heathrow Airport is one of the world's most prominent travel hubs, that alas is known for being peppered with delays, cruelly spaced terminals and a multitude of other inconveniences. Remember that in 2007 it jointly received the distinction, alongside Chicago's O'Hare, as being The World's Least Favourite Airport. However, Heathrow is commendably determined to revamp itself into a more efficient and eco-friendly place, which is where little taxi pods glide into the picture. The problems that arise from traffic jams or accidents for rushed travelers crossing the airport are so 2008. Now, all that must be done by the stressed-out flyer who has one spare minute to reach the check-in counter to make their flight, is drop off their car, jump into a pod which has ample space for their luggage, and type in their destination on the touch screen. Whatever is simple and direct at an airport is of course, simply marvelous.

It isn't just functionality that is drawing attention to the PRT pods, it is also their remarkably space-agey appearance. Professor Mark Lowson, who helped design the Saturn Rocket which was responsible for launching Apollo missions, happens to have been designing the pods since 1995. Professor Lowman told London's Science Museum, where the pods were first displayed, "We believe that our PRT system can transform cities in the 21st century to provide the optimum form of environmentally friendly urban transport, relieving congestion and reducing emissions." Although only 18 pods are available for the beginning test launch of the $41 million project, if proven successful the pod routes will be expanded to branch out to other terminals and nearby hotels. If that is proven successful, then the futuristic vision of a city strung together by wired pods with virtually no more traffic suddenly becomes quite a bit more realistic.

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