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Since variable speed energy saving escalators are more and more common, why limit yourself to regular escalator speeds?
An energy saving escalator moves slowly until it senses someone near, then speeds up to regular speeds. I say once it senses this person is actually on the escalator, speed it up
to many times regular speed. Then when it senses that you're nearing the end (or if it senses someone else is about to step on), slow back down to normal speed.
This can be done with something as simple as a couple of electric eyes (light on one side, sensor on the other), a larger motor, and a bit of programming.
Escalator Accident
http://www.youtube....watch?v=MzRDWSYegNM
[jaksplat, Aug 14 2008]
[link]
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I get the point you are trying for, but I think this would scare the piss out of people. I once saw a picture of an escalator collapse and it still haunts me. If I was on an escalator and it sped up or slowed down, I would be off in a second, up on a handrail like a woman in a movie who sees a mouse. |
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Also I think that it would have everyone not holding the handrail falling like bowling pins. |
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I think both of those issues can be controlled by keeping the acceleration low. |
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I'm scared also, but if I can wear a helmet you can count me in. |
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many escalators are in near constant use, so you'd rarely get a chance to get above speeds low enough to mount/dismount. Bun anyway, for the comedy value. |
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I think Isaac Asimov had a similar system in one of his novels: you had multiple parallel moving pavements around a city. The relative speeds between the pavements was low enough to just step from one to the other, but step up the hierarchy enough times and you could get onto really fast pavements. Nifty thought experiment. Bit expensive in terms of space and resources in practice I think. |
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//An energy saving escalator moves slowly until it senses someone near, then speeds up to regular speeds.// |
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Perhaps it is an evil escalator, and speeds up to some fantastic speed just as you get on. And if you successfully get on without being thrown on your head, it then slows to a crawl just as you pass the halfway point. If you try to climb the rest of the way, it reverses. You can never get off until a new passenger arrives to be tortured. |
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It could be called the Eveil Escher Excalator. |
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