Session 6 / London Live Program: Developing Mobility Solutions for Vertical Transportation in the Post-Crisis City

Christian Studer
Head of New Technologies
Schindler, Lucerne

Elevator travel in a post-crisis city presents numerous questions: will a packed car full of 21 people ever become normal again? Will pushing a button to select a floor feel less risky? In the context of post-crisis vertical urbanism, new elevator solutions will play a crucial role in providing people with a safe “last mile” to their destination. Four pillars will support the post-crisis vertical transportation of the future.

First, new approaches to safe elevator call interfaces will include innovations such as touchless elevator smartphone apps, with proximity and antiviral buttons. The second pillar is focused on the elevator car itself: Automated sterilization of car interior surfaces and air, such as with UV light, will reduce the need for manual sterilization, and will ensure clean air and hygienic surfaces. Third, elevators can aid in virus exposure tracing. Modern elevator systems are also tech-enabled access systems and can provide data about travel routes and contact between occupants in the event of infections in the building. The fourth pillar is perhaps the most challenging for the industry: Social distancing. Restriction of the number of passengers travelling in an elevator car is effective during lockdown situations with limited building occupancy. However, as the world returns to work, reduced capacity restrictions will affect the efficiency of intra-office travel and will require new mobility solutions to shape the future of vertical transit in the post-crisis era.