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3 degree of freedom elevators

next gen elevators that can move horizontally
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ever thought of how much time goes waste in waiting for an elevator in a tall building? lets say the building is more than 110 floors. now taking an elevator in the horizontal direction we, can switch the elevator from one hoistway to the other. this improves track utilization. just like a train switching tracks. now commuters wont have to switch elevators to go to their destined floor - the elevators would do the same. now lets introduce another degree of freedom - the forward and backward motion so that the elevators can land on a platform for people to get down or borad the elevator. That way the hoistway is not engaged, while an elevator stops. another elevator cab may utilize it improving track utilization. but for these 3 degrees of freedom the ropes and the counterweights of each elevator have to be eliminated. each cab should be independent and climb into the building on its own by applying thrust on the walls of the shaft. efficiency can be improved by making the entire system computer controled to avoid collisions and also each elevator can be made to behave as a call-taxi :- the nearest elevator responds to your call...
sridhar236, Apr 27 2005

Linear Motor Elevator http://www.fujitec..../OTHER/ROPELESS.htm
Looks like this idea may have been baked already [Adze, Apr 27 2005]

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       Saw a documentary on this a few years back - the cars are "parked" in recessed bays to allow the passengers to load/unload. Meanwhile, the carriage to which the cars are attached, was able to accelerate much faster (lighter and no passengers)to pick up another car. One elevator company had even built a small mockup.
AbsintheWithoutLeave, Apr 27 2005
  

       Similar to "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator"
hippo, Apr 27 2005
  

       Baked fictionally on Star Trek in the '60's. Blueprints drawn up for the original Enterprise model showed turbo-elevator shafts which proceeded horizontally on different deck levels, with branches, to access different parts of the ship. Not sure if there's a weblink out there, but this stuff is all drawn out in the Booklet of General Ship's Plans (Starship Enterprise Blueprints) or the Starfleet Technical Manual, (c) Franz Joseph Designs.   

       Such a design would preclude cables, and perhaps even tracks. Some kind of mag-lev process to sling elevator cars around might do the trick, though whether people would feel safe on such a ride is another matter. A safety dogging device might consist of some kind of explosive bolt spikes which would dig into the surrounding walls in case of a power failure.
Soterios, Apr 27 2005
  

       Love that Star Trek Technical Manual. "So, how do Inertial Dampers work?"
"Very well, thank you."
moomintroll, Apr 27 2005
  

       star treks got this one covered, though you would have to build jeffries tubes as well because the turbo lift is always going haywire
10clock, Apr 28 2005
  

       Poor Jeffry. Forty years of Star Trek, and his tubes still haven't been built?
david_scothern, Apr 28 2005
  

       Baked in 2-D at least on Star Trek and not a tremendously hot idea since I suspect most occupants of the elevator would have to go "all around the houses" before they got to the destination they wanted. Imagine you want just to go direct from bottom floor to top, but 6 persosn get on in between, each of whcih wants to do a little horizontal detour...   

       Also baked in 2-D in The Netherlands, where you can get a TrainTaxi - a minibus, cheaper than an ordinary taxi but my, do you get a good tour of the neighbourhood...
Harry Mudd, Apr 28 2005
  
      
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