7 Ways Tech Could Change Travel in Your Lifetime

Technology such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanners could soon see passports rendered obsolete. Australia already has plans to roll out a passport-less identification system by 2020.

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is hard at work on the Hyperloop, a transport tube that promises to propel travellers via a pod at extremely high speeds. In Europe, Dutch contractors Hardt Global Mobility hope to link the cities of Amsterdam and Paris by 2021.

You’ve heard of driverless cars, but what about pilotless planes? With unmanned aerial vehicles already being used by the military, pilotless commercial planes could become a reality in a mere seven years.

While adventurous tourists can travel to space for a cool $65 million, the price tag will become much more affordable in the next decade thanks to these 5 companies.

At least 19 global companies are currently developing flying car plans, with many working on prototypes which could be ready in the next 15 years. Uber recently signed a deal with Nasa to develop on-demand, 200mph electric air taxis. The firm says it plans for the project, called Uber Elevate, to be fully operational in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Just a few years later, the tech may be widely available.

Airbus believes that by 2050, commercial airplanes could have transparent cabin walls. Will the tech would provide some amazing views, it might cause a few problems for those who suffer from vertigo.

Travel from London to New York in under an hour could be made possible by a huge tunnel crossing the Atlantic. While estimates say the tech would cost up to $175bn to build, the project could increase travel speeds and cut down on plane emissions.