Emergence of Smart Elevators and Escalators with IoT Technology

Summary : Like everything else, the new generation elevators and escalators are becoming smarter and more well-connected. Let’s see how IoT lifts up the traditional elevator system, making it faster, safer, and more personalized. 

Rapid urbanization and the rising world population are pushing realty developers to go higher! With city skylines changing dramatically, efficient vertical mobility has become a prerequisite. Technological innovations have made the cityscapes taller and grander, which means we need smarter, faster, and safer elevators and escalators. Often termed as urban workhorses, elevators and escalators have played a critical role in vertical development essential to accommodate rapid urbanization. Since its introduction in the late 1800s, elevators have evolved over the years. From rope cables to automated experience, elevator designs have gone notches higher with IoT technologies.

How Is the IoT Paving Way for Smart Elevators and Escalators?

Elevators and escalators are becoming faster, more efficient, and safer – Thanks to IoT technologies. According to a report published in MarketWatch, the global smart elevator market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.81 percent by 2028, reaching a value of $14000 million. Smart elevators combine advanced IoT-enabled sensors and software to create a seamless interconnected system elevating its efficiency and safety.

IoT-powered smart elevators can remotely monitor key performance indicators and make real-time maintenance decisions. Smart elevators and escalators can remotely monitor conditions such as safety circuits, load weighing, door cycles and trips, traffic trends, and waiting periods. Based on this data, technicians can keep track of wear and tear along with anomalies in friction and noise to optimize preventive maintenance schedules.

Besides, real-time data provides IoT diagnostic insights enabling you to detect a problem and resolve them before it could cause any casualties. Here are some of the benefits of IoT-empowered smart elevators and escalators:

Enhanced Efficiency and Reliability 

IoT sensors generate mammoth volumes of data which can be analyzed to gather invaluable insights into elevator/escalator performance, usage patterns, and maintenance requirements. Additionally, OEMs and facility managers can utilize this data to optimize the elevator design to improve its efficiency, thus reducing abrupt breakdowns and mantraps.

Makes Elevator & Escalator Safe

Poor installation and maintenance are some of the major causes of elevator accidents. Traditional methods of condition monitoring may not be able to detect early indications of possible issues, thus making maintenance less effective. IoT technology provides fault diagnosis with real-time condition monitoring data and sends alerts to the concerned teams. They can quickly take action to fix the issue or the faulty component. This lowers the possibility of accidents or injuries, making the elevators & escalators safe and efficient.

Increased Energy Efficiency 

Transporting people and products by going against gravity is a tough job. And with modern buildings touching the skies, it has become crucial to have high-power elevators that can reach the highest floor in just a couple of minutes. According to an estimate, around 3 to 7 percent of a building’s energy consumption.

IoT-enabled smart elevator systems optimize energy consumption based on data such as occupancy, weather conditions, and peak hours. Moreover, with such insights, OEMs can design energy-efficiency elevators and escalators.

Amazing User Experience 

Elevators in multistory buildings frequently going out of order is an annoyance. Moreover, mantraps are also common occurrences that can affect user experience. With IoT-based condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, technicians can keep an eye on possible faults and fix them, lowering the chances of sudden breakdowns. Also, with elevators functioning without glitches, mantraps can reduce considerably.

Potential Problems Faced by Modern-Day Elevators 

With urban landscapes changing drastically with high-rise towers, elevators have a long and arduous way to go. Here are some of the potential problems faced by modern-day elevators:

Safety Compliance

Technological advancements mean complex compliance regulations. Compliance is becoming a major concern as elevator companies expand their service territory beyond geographical borders. Moreover, safety regulations are constantly changing due to technological advancement,  thus it becomes difficult to keep track of relevant changes.

Lack of Maintenance Plan 

Elevator maintenance is the key to providing a better user-centric experience. However, a reactive maintenance approach and shutting down the elevators/escalators can badly impact the user experience. Reactive maintenance can be a vicious circle. When failures occur, the elevators shut down for unforeseen duration. Such unplanned downtime can affect mobility and increase backlogs. Therefore, predicting failure is crucial to prevent unanticipated downtime.