How do you improve the elevator?
You can make them out of different materials, make them faster, quieter or larger, and even use them in clever marketing campaigns.
You can also make them safer—Japanese officials announced plans earlier this year to make many of the country’s elevators disaster-ready by including toilets and a supply of water.
This came after a 7.8 magnitude quake hit this past spring, trapping several people in some of the country’s estimated 620,000 elevators.
But at its core, vertical transportation hasn’t changed much since the days of pulleys and platforms. Obviously the technology has evolved, but the principle is more or less the same.
But now, elevators are getting smarter.
And while this isn’t exactly going to revolutionize the act of traveling up and down, it will definitely make the process more efficient.
One of the key differentiators of smart elevators is that instead of pushing a button to go up or down passengers first select the floor they want on a panel outside the lift. They are then directed to the elevator that will take them to their destination, with a view to streamlining passengers and making fewer stops on the way.
The record for the longest time trapped in an elevator goes to Cypriot Kively Papajohn. On December 28, 1987, the 76-year-old got stuck in an elevator on her way home from grocery shopping. She finally got out on January 02, 1988—six days after being trapped.
Development of smart cities and growth of high-rise construction is expected to nearly double the value of the global smart elevator market, which will reach $22.74 billion by 2019.
As elevators get faster and higher, passenger comfort has become a huge focal area. Reducing vibrations, ensuring smooth pick up and braking and maintaining good pressure in the car (especially when traveling at more than 25 feet/second) are all essential to moving people around in comfort.
A few advanced systems used in smart elevators include:
- Computer monitoring: A monitor installed in the machine room that keeps track of the operation activities and the errors that may occur during the operation of the elevator. The purpose of this monitor is to ensure proper maintenance and smooth operation of the elevator
- Electronic display systems: A display unit installed either inside or outside the elevator cabin which provides Internet-based information such as stocks, weather, and news headlines to the occupants. The information is displayed using a plasma display unit
- Remote monitoring systems: Helps in instantly responding to emergency situations such as blackouts and other situations that disrupt the smooth operation of the elevator
Better time management will be a key trend in smart elevators
Time is another key area of concern when it comes to developing smart elevators. The whole point of the machines is convenience, after all, and so time management (including higher speed machines and reduced wait times) is essential.
In 2010, IBM released its Smarter Buildings study. The company surveyed 6,486 office workers in 16 U.S. cities and asked them about 10 building-related issues.
Citing the findings, Network World pinpointed elevators as one of the biggest culprits of wasted time in office buildings.
“IBM tallied the cumulative time that office workers spent waiting for elevators during the past 12 months. New York City topped the list (16.6 years), followed by Los Angeles (8.7 years), Chicago (9 years) and Houston (6.8) years,” wrote Ann Bednarz
In a bid to cut down wait times, smart elevators replace the mechanism that controls the movement of the elevator car with computerized controls that constantly calculate the best distribution of a building’s elevators. They’re also fitted with better door sensors that allow doors to open and close faster (without catching any passengers in the process).
The few seconds this saves per ride add up over time, especially when applied to some of the massive high rises being built right now.
For example, the CTF Finance Center, which is expected to become operational in 2016, is one of the tallest buildings under construction in China. When completed, it will stand at 1,738 feet with 116 floors in total. 13 elevators with speeds of 65.6 feet/second will be installed in the building to reduce wait times for the passengers. The elevator is one of the fastest in the world and is manufactured by Hitachi. The elevators are capable of achieving this speed due to thin-profile, permanent magnet synchronous motors and compact traction machines that make the lifting system lighter.
Maximum speed of elevators in some prominent high-rise buildings
Source: Technavio, 2015
