First Cable-Free Elevator Zooms Horizontally and Vertically Using Maglev Tech

[loeg]

One function of elevator cables is the emergency brake system (fail closed) — hope the power in this mag system is really really redundant!

[ProxCoques]

"One function of elevator cables is the emergency brake system "

With this maglev system (as with conventional elevators, trains and trolleys), there is a speed governor system. When the governor spins too fast, the centrifugal force activates a braking system.

[zbjornson]

It could still have the type of safety brake that mounts under the car and engages when excessive downward motion is detected.

[contingencies]

Maybe they are based on electropermanent magnets - ie. defaults to on, current switches off.

[ComputerGuru]

I'm not sure how the elevator works, but if you've ever tried to toss a magnet down a copper tube, it appears to defy gravity - no electricity involved. Something similar could work to create a "fail-proof" elevator.

[k26dr]

I'm guessing there is a mechanical failsafe in place, but I want to see test data proving it works before I get in one of these

[MrBuddyCasino]

They have emergency batteries, and a mechanical brake if those fail, just like regular elevators.

[GenericsMotors]

How does this behave in the event of a power failure?

[gcb0]

how well will credit cards and storage media survive being inside the linear engine "rotor" ?

[TD-Linux]

The linear motor is confined to the rails behind the cabin. It's basically a bigger version of the linear motors seen on some CNC equipment.

[dwhabcdefg]

I'm curious to learn about the routing algorithms for this -- more precisely, how they differ from 1-d elevator scheduling routines.

[digitalshankar]

Going horizontally and vertically in an elevator is like playing side scrolling games but this time you are inside the game! Very exciting!

[booblik]

5 times as expensive to install, and looking at all those moving parts probably 10 times as epensive to maintain.

[dx034]

That's only for the first version. It's not unlikely that they can compete by price in the future. First versions of a new technology are (nearly) always more expensive than the existing, mass produced product.

[tonyedgecombe]

Elevators are a huge constraint in tall buildings, something like this could have a dramatic impact on overall building costs.