Smart Elevators Coming to Seattle

coaxial writes "Fujitec has unveiled a new elevator system for Seattle's Metropolitan Park West Tower. The new system uses touchpanels to group users by destination. Riders may wait slightly longer for the proper car, but the overall ride is shortened because the car stops less."

Comments

Hey, that's my idea! More things to consider...

[dada21]

Way back in the day I used to do some IT work for a company that made elevator buttons for the big elevator companies. It was one of the oddest companies you had ever seen.

I used to ask them why the basic "up/down" button was never replaced with a better control system -- you could request the floor you wanted to go to on the outside of the elevator instead of the inside. Sure it would cost more (needing buttons at every floor) but you could prioritize the elevator's path, saving money and time in the long run.

They told me it would never happen -- elevators would always be as they were. I guess he was mostly right, since it is now 10 years later and we still have up/down buttons, long waits, and no real efficiency in destination planning. I actually used to consider about once a year writing a paper on sorting the elevator destinations real time based on where people were and where they would be heading.

I'm surprised it finally happened.

A few things I wish elevators had (some jokingly just out of frustration):

1. On/off toggle. The idiot that hits the call button ten times would only toggle the button on and off 5 times. Let him wait, I hate the clicking sound.

2. On/off toggle in the elevator. Have you had the kid hit 10 buttons? I have. Many times. Have you had some idiot hit a few buttons by accident? I get it every week. Not that I'm in a rush, but come on, think before you hit a button.

3. Early elevator arrival notification. Tell me which elevator will be the one I'll be entering. I've been in some buildings where I'll miss 3 elevators because they don't notify you which one to wait by. Maybe they do this to prevent people from crowding the doors, but I'd rather people learn etiquette than have the crazy rushes you see in some Chicago lobbies.

4. VIP floor access. Pay $1 and get to your floor immediately.

5. BING muting. Have you been in these elevators that have to BING at every floor, even when you're going to the 33rd from the 1st? Yeesh, give me a mute button.

6. Free spray deodarant in each elevator. Talk about needing to teach people etiquette.

Social Psychology

[tktk]

In one of my social psychology classes, my professor told us that had been called in as a consultant to the college's elevator system. The elevator system in one building was extremely slow and it would take too much work to replace it.

Instead of messing with elevator, my prof used a bit of social psychology. He had mirrors installed next to the elevator on every floor. Apparently, the self-absorbed students and faculty looked at themselves in the mirrors while waiting for the elevator, and lost track of their waiting time. From what I remember, complaints about the slow elevators got reduced to about 1/2.

Re:Social Psychology

[spoonyfork]

He had mirrors installed next to the elevator on every floor.

I had an industrial organizational psychology course at university and our prof told us the same story. I was going to share it until I read yours. I somehow doubt we attended the same university much less had the same professor. Could this be a psych course urban legend?

Re:This is NOT New technology...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm staying in the Marquee as I write this, and I can say this is the stupidest system for elevators I've ever seen.

When it gets very busy, which is in theory when this system should be most effective, it breaks down completely. Here's what happens: All the people who are confused and tired of waiting for their elevator rush to any elevator that opens, not realizing it may not be going to their floor. Then the people who actually know how the system works can't get on their elevator, and have to rekey their floor and then be told to wait for a different elevator. And then the whole process repeats.

It is somewhat hilarious to watch people get on the elevator, reach for the non-existent floor buttons inside the car, then look around confused as the doors close and they are whisked off to some random floor nowhere near their destination.

Re:Real World may hold surprises

[TubeSteak]

Try holding the door-close button while pressing your floor.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/02/elevator-hackin g/

A friend of mine got a job with the elevator repair union (you have to know someone to get in) and he's confirmed this is true for some models.

Re:Real World may hold surprises

[TubeSteak]

I do this.

I've been in super-busy hotels during conventions and the best advice you can give anyone is to just get in the elevator if there's space.

Doesn't matter if it's going up or down, just get in. It will get where you're going eventually.

From my anecdotal experience, I'd be coming back past the floor I had been on and I'd see the same people I had left behind. Only now the elevator is full.