How Smart Technology is Revolutionizing Elevator and Moving Stairway Designs

By: Janifha Evangeline | Thursday, 25 May 2023

Vertical transportation is increasing in demand in skyscrapers and other high-rise structures owing to rapid urbanization around the globe. Elevator and escalator technologies have been steadily evolving over the past few years thanks to the incorporation of cutting-edge AI technology and cloud services. The introduction of smart elevators, rope-less elevator-MULTI, AI and Internet of Things, extended reality technologies, among other recent developments and breakthroughs in the vertical transportation industry. These technological developments have improved the accessibility and intelligence of vertical transportation. Additionally, the advent of digitization has given lift and escalator manufacturers new opportunities, forcing them to reconsider their product lines and roll out next-generation lift technology that is quicker, safer, and more entertaining.

Smart Elevators: The next big trend

Customers are demanding newer and more cutting-edge features from lift systems as a result of the constantly changing technological landscape. Space-saving, energy-efficient, long-lasting, time-efficient, low-maintenance, affordability, safety, and durablity are all requirements for modern lifts. A new generation of advancement in vertical transportation has been made possible by smart lifts, which enable remote real-time repair decisions, greater performance monitoring, etc. Modern technology and networking elements on smart lifts improve their efficiency, security, and overall performance. Since they take up less time and are more affordable than regular lifts, these are proven to be more successful. Overall, smart lifts offer a number of advantages over conventional lifts, including increased productivity, safety, and maintenance-free operation. They are especially helpful in high-rise buildings where there can be tremendous lift traffic and lengthy wait times. Let us look at how smart technology is revolutionizing the elevators and escalators landscape.

Interactive Panels within Elevator Cabs

Touch screens, monitors, and other interactive technology are found on interactive panels inside lift cabs, which improve the ride for passengers. These panels can serve a number of functions, including informational purposes, amusement, and even enhancing safety. Information screens can be used to show building details including floor plans, driving instructions and upcoming events. Additionally, they can include details about the lift itself, such as its position right now, speed, and capacity. To make the travel for passengers more fun, certain interactive panels are outfitted with entertainment devices like music or movie players. Advertisements for goods or services that travellers might find interesting can be displayed on interactive panels for marketing purposes. Safety features like emergency call buttons, fire alarms, or even access to building security systems can be provided by interactive panels. These panels can also be altered to match the particular requirements of a structure or its occupants. For instance, they may offer access to building-specific applications or services or show

a customised welcome message for certain guests.

Cloud Predictive Maintenance

Utilizing data analysis and cloud-based technology, cloud predictive maintenance keeps track of and foresees the need for maintenance on lifts. This technology aids in preventing serious difficulties from occurring, decreasing downtime, and extending the life of the lift system. Leading lift maker ThyssenKrupp has created the MAX predictive maintenance system, which employs cloud-based analytics to track lift performance and forecast maintenance requirements. Additionally, Otis Elevator has created a cloud-based predictive maintenance system called Otis ONE that analyses sensor data and previous information on elevator performance to discover trends and foretell when maintenance will be necessary. Another top lift manufacturer, KONE, has created a predictive maintenance system called KONE 24/7 Connected Services that forecasts maintenance requirements using cloud-based analytics.

Robotization in elevators & escalators

Robotization in lifts and escalators refers to the application of cutting-edge technologies to improve the functionality, effectiveness, and safety of these vertical transit systems. Other instances of robotization in escalators and lifts include the following such as Destination Control Systems, Contactless Elevator buttons etc.

Destination Control Systems

Modern hotels and commercial buildings all feature lifts that can recognize your destination and even direct you to a specific lift for your trip. Destination Control Systems, which uses artificial intelligence to control the flow of passengers in lifts, have made this possible. Destination control, a tremendously popular innovation, has completely changed the lift business. By organizing stops for passengers travelling to the same or nearby floors in a building, destination control lifts increase speed and efficiency by grouping passengers according to their destinations. This decreases the number of stops and travel time. High-rise buildings frequently employ this technology since it shortens wait times and enhances the overall traveling experience.

Contactless Elevator buttons

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the need to improve lift cleanliness, which gave rise to contactless lift buttons. By using an infrared sensor interface and these contactless lift buttons, customers can call a lift by holding their finger one to three centimeters away from the button panel. Since passengers hardly ever touch the buttons, there is substantially less chance of disease transmission. In the upcoming years, contactless lifts are anticipated to become more commonplace as AI continues to be integrated into the hospitality sector. Utilizing cutting-edge sensor technology, the HoverTap Lift provides three-dimensional real-time finger position detection. A light "press" in the air is all that is needed to select a floor on the LCD screen, which responds instantly to the user's touch and is sensitive to the finger's proximity to the interface. To prevent buttons from being mistakenly pressed, safety measures are in place. A user experience that seems natural and identical to pushing a genuine button is created by machine-learning algorithms, which guarantee greater precision and responsiveness. These features were developed with the typical user in mind. Any existing systems with conventional high-touch surfaces, such as self-service kiosks, ticketing booths, fuel pump stations, and ATMs, might be changed into contact-free interfaces with the HoverTap touchless technology. Natural resource consumption has increased as a result of rapid industrialization and urbanization. In the next 15 years, it is anticipated that the demand for energy would increase by 20–30%. Premium green building materials for escalators and lifts are becoming more popular as a result of growing environmental concerns and customer awareness. This has heightened the demand for efficient and intelligent energy use. Smart lift implementation would lower reliance and consumption rates. The adoption of green and smart lifts is anticipated to be accelerated by the growth of smart cities and increased attention to the upkeep and repair of ageing infrastructure. Green lift adoption would increase as a result of rating systems like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) encouraging engineers, designers, and others to build low-impact designs.