Joe Sulmona thinks this is interesting:
ThyssenKrupp Develops the World’s First Rope-free Elevator System
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The era of the rope-dependent elevator is now over, 160 years after its invention. ThyssenKrupp places linear motors in elevator cabins, transforming conventional elevator transportation in vertical metro systems.
MULTI elevator technology increases transport capacities and efficiency while reducing the elevator footprint and peak loads from the power supply in buildings. Several cabins in the same shaft moving vertically and horizontally will permit buildings to adopt different heights, shapes, and purposes. The first MULTI unit will be in tests by 2016.
Building design will no longer be limited by the height or vertical alignment of elevator shafts, opening possibilities to architects and building developers they have never imagined possible.
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Very cool, really could revolutionize building design. Why has it taken so long to happen? The idea seems pretty straightforward.
Likely niche product for very tall towers. How many folks go from floor 32 to 46 ? Most go down to the parking garage or ground floor lobby, or from there to their suite level.
But even if straight elevator the idea of “no cables” makes perfect sense.
Some towers have double decker elevators (First Canadian Place and Scotia Plaza in Toronto).
Boarding is for “odd” and “even” floors on 2 different levels of the podium / underground concourse.
However, each elevator cab is capable of serving every floor – so if there’s an odd person in an otherwise even cab, it will stop at the odd floor, the second cab’s doors will remain closed, and a sign in the second cab will light up saying “serving other floor”.
Check out the elevator at Surrey Central Station. It’s Ropeless. Shocking when I saw it at first.