Pod assembly for light rail transportation

A pod assembly configured to be disposed inside and thrusted along a slotted tube having a longitudinal slot, the pod assembly comprising a first pod;

• a second pod coupled with the first pod;
• and a strut disposed between the first pod and the second pod and coupled with the first pod and the second pod, the strut being configured to extend through the longitudinal slot of the slotted tube to the exterior of the slotted tube, wherein the first pod is a thrust pod comprising:
• a thrust pod body including a generally cylindrical wall having a front end and a rear end, the thrust pod body being smaller in cross-section than the slotted tube, a portion of the front end being open and a portion of the rear end being open to allow gas flow through the thrust pod body between the front end and the rear end;
• a thrust pod tire coupled with the generally cylindrical wall of the thrust pod body to define an outer annular enclosure between the thrust pod tire and the wall of the thrust pod body, the thrust pod tire being inflatable to make contact with the interior of the slotted tube and deflatable to open gas flow between the thrust pod body and the slotted tube;
• and
• at least one bladder disposed inside the thrust pod body, the bladder being inflatable and deflatable to modulate gas flow through the thrust pod body to adjust speed of movement of the thrust pod body inside the slotted tube.

A pod assembly configured to be disposed inside and thrusted along a slotted tube having a longitudinal slot, the pod assembly comprising a first pod;

• a second pod coupled with the first pod;
• and a strut disposed between the first pod and the second pod and coupled with the first pod and the second pod, the strut being configured to extend through the longitudinal slot of the slotted tube to the exterior of the slotted tube, wherein the second pod is a passive pod comprising:
• a passive pod body including a generally cylindrical wall having a front end and a rear end, the passive pod body being smaller in cross-section than the slotted tube, a portion of the front end being open and a portion of the rear end being open to allow gas flow through the passive pod body between the front end and the rear end;
• and
• a passive pod tire coupled with the generally cylindrical wall of the passive pod body to define an outer annular enclosure between the passive pod tire and the wall of the passive pod body, the passive pod tire being inflatable to make contact with the interior of the slotted tube and deflatable to open gas flow between the passive pod body and the slotted tube.

A pod assembly configured to be disposed inside and thrusted along a thrust tube, the pod assembly comprising:

• a pod body including a generally cylindrical wall having a front end and a rear end, the pod body being smaller in cross-section than the thrust tube, a portion of the front end being open and a portion of the rear end being open to allow gas flow through the pod body between the front end and the rear end;
• at least one pod tire coupled with the generally cylindrical wall of the pod body to define an outer annular enclosure between the pod tire and the wall of the pod body, the pod tire being inflatable to make contact with the interior of the thrust tube and deflatable to open gas flow between the pod body and the thrust tube;
• and
• a valve disposed at least partly inside the pod body and being adjustable to modulate gas flow through the pod body to adjust speed of movement of the pod body inside the thrust tube.