KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, is constantly striving to realize improvements in the efficiency and quality of the elevator installation process. Digitalization is one of the trends in the industry, and KONE is planning to extend this into the elevator shaft. Therefore, we are looking for a wireless referencing system, which would be able to locate components in an elevator shaft to high precision.
Opportunity overview
Many steps of the elevator installation process require positioning different components, such as\nguide rails and doors, within the shaft to high precision. The most common way to do this in mid- to high-rise sites involves plumb lines, which run from the top of the shaft to the bottom. While accurate, they are tricky and labor-intensive to set up and have a tendency to sway because of draft. While lasers can be used in low-rise cases, the elimination of plumb lines from all elevator shafts has not been done so far.
To eliminate the use of plumb lines in elevator installations and to speed up the installation process, we are thinking of devices that record the data digitally. Such a system needs to be capable of locating its position precisely indoors and pose in an elevator shaft up to 300m high and 3 meters wide to a precision of 1 mm or less, and giving the location of an adjacent part, such as a guide rail. Any sensors used need to be robust in a tough elevator shaft environment, which may include dust and humidity. The solutions we are looking for could include but are not limited to, standalone location or navigation devices, or a system with markers or beacons in addition to the central unit.
We envision the solutions to not only speed up the installation process but also have the potential to improve quality by generating data of component positions, thus helping forward the digitalization of the installation process and acting as an enabler for new solutions. Furthermore, transportation needs can be minimized by reducing unnecessary steps in measuring and fitting components, thus improving sustainability of installation. “First time right” installation also reduces the overall material waste.
Your opportunity with KONE
We are offering the opportunity to work on developing advanced technologies together with a leading company in its field. The partnership would provide industry know-how on requirements and support in testing and providing user feedback. If a promising solution is developed, there is potential for commercialization at scale with the solution provider acting as an equipment supplier for KONE.
Examples we're looking for
Laser or machine vision system
Laser- or machine vision system for triangulation of location using reflectors, fixed lasers, or fiducial markers as reference, principles which are similar to land surveying equipment.
Indoor navigation system
Indoor navigation system using sensor fusion, such as cameras, IMUs, lidars, etc. utilizing advanced algorithms developed for robot navigation.
Local navigation system
Laser- or radiofrequency time of flight based local navigation system combining multiple range measurements into a position reference.
KONE
The KONE mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators, and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, KONE makes people's journeys safe, convenient, and reliable in taller, smarter buildings.
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