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Vacuum-Controlled Elevator Developed

Aenox writes "Vacuum Elevators of Florida have released a one-man elevator system that easily slots into buildings. It has gone on sale in the U.S. for around $20,000 and uses only electricity to power vaccum-inducing suction turbines that can lift 204Kg several floors up. They claim it provides a smooth ride but from the video it looks like it could use some oil."

15 of 313 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Failsafes by LurkerXXX · · Score: 4, Informative

    No. They are the same type purely mechanical types used in your standard elevator. If the cable breaks on a normal elevator, they also need to have some means of preventing you from plummeting to your death. The same systems are in use. Engineers thought long long ago about power failures during emergencies. You aren't the first to think about it.

  2. For Us Americans... by Doc+Squidly · · Score: 3, Informative

    ... 204 Kg = ~450 lbs

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  3. *yawn* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
  4. The Elderly and Disabled by mekkab · · Score: 4, Informative

    Laziness and status aside;

    The real answer is for the Elderly and the disabled. IF you check out That Home Site you'll find a lot of interest in residential elevators. If it isn't feasible to buy a single level house, an elevator allows you full access to your entire abode.

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  5. Re:/.ing by UCFFool · · Score: 3, Informative

    Elevator1.mpeg
    Courtesy of mirrordot.org.

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  6. Videos not /.-ed (yet) by gentoo1337 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Working videos (for now) here:
    http://www.vacuumelevators.com/video.htm

  7. Video mirror by sucker_muts · · Score: 2, Informative
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  8. Re:Failsafes by Dun+Malg · · Score: 4, Informative
    In fact, as I remember it, one of the first safety elevators was demonstrated at a World's fair (don't remember which one). The demo was the inventor cutting the rope that held the elevator up to the shock and amazement of the crowd.

    Elisha Otis, at the 1853-54 World's Fair. Interesting history of the safety elevator here.

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  9. Re:Failsafes by Dun+Malg · · Score: 4, Informative
    By the way, Elisha Otis, inventer of the safety elevator, died in an elevator accident.

    No he didn't. He died of diptheria during an epidemic in 1861.

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  10. Re:My Uncle made an elevator by bluGill · · Score: 4, Informative

    Simple physics. Your water pressure it between 20 and 60psi. (Anything higher will break hoses) City water is generally on the high end because cities have to reach the upper floors of houses on top of hills, and regulators are a lot each to install and maintain than pumps. Well water is often on the low end because you set it for what you need.

    20 psi means that if you have a tube with a piston with one square inch of surface area, the piston will hold up 20lbs. A little math and you can find how big a piston you need to lift the weight (Not mass, we care about fighting gravity) you are concerned about. Now just place the piston in a tube long enough, and apply water. It will lift your elevator.

    The hard part is making this without digging a hold DOWN 2 stories to place your tube in. There are many solutions to this, they are left as an exercise for the reader.

  11. Re:Something I noticed by mikael · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not the modern kind of elevators with solid doors, but there have been cases where little kids have had an arm pulled off by the old fashioned cage elevators. These elevators sometimes have trellis type doors, or windows that kids like to stick their arms through. The "Bladerunner" movie might have a better example.

    Apart for being safer, the modern doors do offer some interesting opportunites for the artist

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  12. Re:Something I noticed by jonin · · Score: 2, Informative

    In Houston TX about a year ago a Doctor (St Joseph's Hospital) was killed when he tried to catch a elevator when the doors were closing. He became stuck in the doors and the elevator started going up. It ended up severing a good part of his head off.

    This was a modern designed elevator. Accidents can happen, although rare, it is something to consider.

  13. Re:Failsafes - image links, etc by loraksus · · Score: 3, Informative

    A rather low resolution image is
    Here
    Probably a better example is Aloha Airlines flight 243, which looked a whole shitload worse.
    Check out the picture on page 2
    Only one fatality, which is kind of amazing if you look at the pictures (flight attendant blown out).

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  14. Re:Something I noticed by mikael · · Score: 2, Informative

    I did a search for this accident and found many articles relating to Hitoshi Nikaidoh. Apparently, there are 30 deaths and 17,100 injuries each year.

    There is a detailed explanation at snopes.com. The exact cause was a miswired controller stud which bypassed the safety features.

    Other hospital accidents have been caused by the elevator cabs falling by several feet while a gurney was being pushed in or out.

    According to an elevator expert, most of these accidents are caused by infrequent maintenance.

    From now on, I'll take the stairs.

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