Maglev Elevators by 2008?

An anonymous reader writes "CNN is reporting that the first magnetic levitation elevators could hit the market as soon as 2008. The Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation has stated that the same technology used to develop high speed trains will soon be available in their elevators. From the article: 'The maglev elevators will be quieter and more comfortable and will travel 300 meters (984 feet) per minute -- not as fast as the company's conventional lifts that can move up to 1,010 meters (3,314 feet) a minute, Toshiba said.'"

Comments

Hope this is more than.

[bstadil]

one-upman ship

Re:Hope this is more than.

[slughead]

Hope this is more than one-upman ship

Yeah, the smooth ride helps to prevent throw-upmanship.

The downside this didn't mention?

[AWhiteFlame]

It will confuse the hell out of your pacemaker.

Great Glass Elevator

[femto]

Now I know where Roald Dahl got the idea for the Great Glass Elevator from. Does anyone else find the similarity between a mag-lev elevator and a rail gun just slightly disturbing?

Re:Great Glass Elevator

[rlp]

femto wrote: Does anyone else find the similarity between a mag-lev elevator and a rail gun just slightly disturbing?

So how many points of damage does a mag-lev elevator do?

Re:Great Glass Elevator

[BrynM]

Does anyone else find the similarity between a mag-lev elevator and a rail gun just slightly disturbing?

Disturbing? Yeah, that elevator would be a bitch to aim... and you'd need a spare skyscraper next to you for ammo. Finally, SimTower becomes a FPS game!

Re:Oh wowee

[DurendalMac]

7. Wipes the drive on your iPod/laptop/thumbdrive whenever you move up a floor.

I hope you all like folk music

[r00b]

Great, now when my Bending Unit 22 gets in the elevator, its inhibition unit will malfunction and it will be singing "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" all the way up!

Good work

[r00b]

step 1. Watch Star Trek step 2. ???? step 3. Profit

Re:Oh wowee

[AddressException]

In the Pit Fall, most breaking is done by large permanent magnets...

Remind me never to go on that ride! ;)

Mag-lev technology has its ups and downs

[ian_mackereth]

The body of this post has been left deliberately blank

Just hope...

[wildsurf]

...the earth's magnetic poles don't flip, while you're on it.

Re:Oh wowee

[rco3]

Zaphod: Yeah? What else to you do besides talk?

Lift: I go up or down.

Zaphod: Good. We're going up.

Lift: Or down.

Zaphod: Yeah, ok, up please.

Lift: Down's very nice.

Zaphod: Oh yeah?

Lift: Super.

Zaphod: Good. Now will you take us up?

Lift: May I ask you if you've considered all the possibilities that down might offer you?

Zaphod: Like what?

Lift: Well, er, there's the basement, the microfiles, the heating system... um. Nothing particularly exciting I'll admit, but they are alternative possibilities.

Zaphod: Ah, Zarquon's knees, did I ask for an existential elevator? What's the matter with the thing?

Marvin: It doesn't want to go up. I think it's afraid.

Re:Story was corrected

[slughead]

3,314 fps would be INSANE.

Yeah, especially considering my monitor only does 125Hz.

Re:Oh wowee

[Anonymous Coward]

7. Wipes the drive on your iPod/laptop/thumbdrive whenever you move up a floor.

8. RIAA approved.

Re:It's "maglev" horizontally, not vertically

[stud9920]

That's a nice feature, but not revolutionary.

I don't find this a nice feature at all. When I get locked in a metal box, I damn WANT to know I am moving.

Re:Oh wowee

[walt-sjc]

Yes - I for one support our MagLev overloards. I'm going to petition building management to be the first test site. It should be a wonderfully smooth ride for my backup tapes... Doh!