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22 | PEOPLE FLOW
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Digitization has trans-
formed the way KONE
operates, evolving from
its modest beginnings
as a manufacturing-
centric organization to technological
leadership as one of the world’s most
innovative companies.
In the early 1950s, developments
like automatic doors and call buttons
on landings meant that elevators could
be increasingly used to move people
in addition to goods.
But it was in 1971 with the intro-
duction of the first microprocessor that
technology really started to take off
and transform the elevator industry.
In 1979, KONE was the first elevator
company to introduce a micro-
processor group control system.
Digitization enabled more sophis-
ticated elevator controllers and motor
drives, which in turn were the catalyst
for huge advances in traffic handling
capacity, passenger convenience, and
energy efficiency. It was thanks to this
highly compact digital technology
together with the use of permanent
magnet motors, that the need for a
separate machine room for volume-
range elevators was eliminated.
The next big step was regenerative
drive technology for high-speed eleva-
tors, which allowed previously wasted
braking energy to be captured and
redistributed around the building.
By the 1990s the enormous
computing power available meant
improved passenger service level
through the use of forecasts, fuzzy
logic, artificial intelligence, and genetic
algorithms in elevator group controls.
These allow the elevator system to
learn the way people move within a
building, and optimize their waiting
and journey times.
At the turn of the 20th century,
elevator group control technology
took its next great leap forward with
the introduction of the destination
control system. The ability to choose
your destination before entering an
elevator delivered a significant perfor-
mance boost for handling rush-hour
traffic in the busy office buildings
of modern megacities with smaller
elevator arrangements than earlier.
Digitization has also dramatically
changed maintenance and field
operations. With instant access to
equipment history data, and spare
parts ordering, technicians have all
the data they need at their fingertips
wherever they are.
By 2050, 70 percent of the world’s
population will be living in cities.
Elevators and escalators will continue
to integrate more and more with other
systems – both inside the building and
out. Better passenger guidance, more
control, and smarter navigation –
from front door to destination.
This is a trend that will continue as
digitization presses on in exciting new
directions. ■
Toward
smarTer
urban
fuTures
As cities and buildings
become more intelligent,
so too does KONE.
ISTOCKPHOTO