Hyperloop Academic Research: A Systematic Review and a Taxonomy of Issues

Abstract

Hyperloop is a proposed very high-speed ground transportation system for both passenger and freight that has the potential to be revolutionary, and which has attracted much attention in the last few years. The concept was introduced in its modern form relatively recently, yet substantial progress has been made in the past years, with research and development taking place globally, from several Hyperloop companies and academics. This study examined the status of Hyperloop development and identified issues and challenges by means of a systematic review that analyzed 161 documents from the Scopus database on Hyperloop since 2014. Following that, a taxonomy of topics from scientific research was built under different physical and operational clusters. The findings could be of help to transportation academics and professionals who are interested in the developments in the field, and form the basis for policy decisions for the future implementation of Hyperloop.