Technology achieves a lot. When applied to elevator systems, for example, it can be used to optimize and automate elevators to get people where they’re going more quickly and conveniently. With the rise of the skyscraper as a place of work, this technology has an important role to play in reducing congestion and wait times. Here, let’s find out more about a ground-breaking technology by Mitsubishi Electric that makes riding the elevator a much more comfortable experience.

A Smoother Ride to the Office

"I beat the morning rush and made it to the office, but now there’s a big line for the elevator to get to my floor. I arrive at my desk in the morning and I’m already exhausted."

"I was early for my appointment with a client at their building but the elevator took forever to get to their level... I ended up getting all flustered and barely made it to their office in time."

Making your way to work in the morning or to a meeting with a client is often a battle with the clock – and many know the irritation that a slow-to-arrive elevator can cause in that situation. The modern-day business scene sees many companies locating their office spaces in skyscrapers: an obvious choice not only for their views but for their state-of-the-art amenities and security. But the height of a skyscraper means that movement within the building depends solely on the elevator, capable of only carrying a set number of people in a single run. This creates a problem: extended wait times.

Greater Speed, Greater Comfort

So, how to tackle this problem? One solution to this quandary is the Elevator Group Control System. As its name suggests, the system manages a series of elevators organized into different groups, operating cars in consideration of passenger waiting times.

What passengers will disembark where? Where are the other cars located, and where are they going next? To juggle multiple elevators effectively, one needs to predict a plethora of factors from all angles. Here is where Mitsubishi Electric’s algorithm comes in. With this proprietary system, one unlocks the ability to optimize how these cars run – not only guaranteeing greater convenience for passengers but remarkably improving efficiency, and therefore reducing electricity consumption. The firm’s Elevator Group Control System realized reduced energy use without compromising on performance; detecting the location and rate of boarding for each elevator, the technology effortlessly balances energy efficiency with transportation capability.

Another solution worth mentioning here is the DOAS (Destination Oriented Allocation System) Integrated with Security System. When employees reach their building, they often swipe their security cards over a scanner. With this system, the scanner sends information on each employee’s designated floor from the card and calls an elevator car that is best suited to each of their intended routes. It means no longer having to press the button for the floor you’re going, while repetitive stops at distant floors become a problem of the past. This state-of-the-art system ensures a smooth, less-crowded riding experience, meaning everyone gets to where they need to go with much less stress.

This DOAS Integrated with Security System first saw application in Japan in 2010 at the Tokyo Building, located in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward district. On the morning before installation, a very familiar sight unfolded in the lobby – long lines for the elevator. But after implementation, the change was clear: an in-building questionnaire revealed that 82% of users felt that getting to their office was easier and much less troublesome than before. And looking at the data, you can see that the numbers tell the same story. Elevators that once often stopped at every floor now made a noticeably shorter journey with stops at around only three floors and operation efficiency increasing by 16%.

Next Stop: Smartphones

The market has responded very favorably to Mitsubishi Electric’s Elevator Group Control System and DOAS Integrated with Security System: buildings all around the world now have the technology installed. But as the system’s ubiquity grows, so does its capabilities.

Imagine that you could call an elevator with your smartphone when you need it. With the growth of IoT, smartphones have become capable of operating all types of devices. And as it turns out, that includes elevators, too.

And it’s incredibly simple to use^*; all you have to do is install an application and your smartphone can call an elevator car when needed. It’s a technology that one could call "elevator-on-demand," and allows the user to further reduce wait times by reserving a ride in advance.

Living and working in skyscrapers is becoming more and more common in this age – and by necessity, this increases the need for efficient elevator control systems. And they rise to the challenge: continuing to grow, steadily but surely.

This function is an option for elevators equipped with the DOAS Integrated with Security System.
Occupant management is required for this function to confirm that users are within the building (users outside the building cannot call an elevator).

(This article was originally published on May 28, 2020.)

The content is true and accurate as of the time of publication.Information related to products and services included in this article may differ by country or region.