Page 02/07/2006HP79.2468 Fundamentals of Interaction Design

Assignment #2: 1000 Floor ElevatorRobert Faludi 2.8.06

This assignment was to creat a model for a single elevator (not a system of elevators) that would serve a 100 floor buildingl.

The only workable model for such a system would be an airline model, using a hub and spoke system The elevator would take all passengers to the ground floor (or a sky lobby) floor on a scheduled basis. Then when that floor was loaded, all passengers would be redistributed to their destinations.

Page 02/07/2006HP79.2468 Fundamentals of Interaction Design

1000 Floor Elevator: ContextCurrent elevator model:

1. Service ModelElevator makes all requested stops in one direction at a time, then reverses and makes all the stops in the other direction.

2. Platform ControlsThe UP and DOWN buttons on each floor stops the elevator on that floor when it is traveling in the corresponding direction.

3. Car ControlsFloor buttons inside the car select stops at each floor, typically the next time the car passes that floor.

4. Unselected StopsFloors that are not selected are skipped.

5. ReversibilityAll selections are irreversible.

6. Platform AttentionElevators issue an alert as they arrive at each requested floor.

7. Car DisplayCar displays current floor

Page 02/07/2006HP79.2468 Fundamentals of Interaction Design

1000 Floor Elevator: IssuesA 1000 floor, single elevator presents unique challenges:

1. Overloaded SystemGiven a building that's two miles high, with only one elevator and 1000 individual floors, the current model would clearly create a system that would immediately overload.

2. Lengthy JourneysAll floors would be requested at all times, and the 20 second trip (estimated from single sample research) from one floor means that a single round trip would take slightly over 11 hours.

3. Airline ModelThe only workable model for such a system would be an airline model, using a hub and spoke system The elevator would take all passengers to the ground floor (or a sky lobby) floor on a scheduled basis. Then when that floor was loaded, all passengers would be redistributed to their destinations.

4. Schedule of OperationsWithout mathematical modeling it is impossible to predict the best schedule, but here we assume that the elevator would serve 25 floors at a time, in order.

Page 02/07/2006HP79.2468 Fundamentals of Interaction Design

1000 Floor Elevator: Overview1000 Floor elevator model:

1. Service ModelElevator makes scheduled stops only.

2. Platform ControlsEach floor displays a schedule of service for that floor, typically two per day.

3. Car ControlsOutside of emergency controls, there would be no floor selection system inside the car, which would make only scheduled stops, like a train.

4. Platform AttentionElevators issue an alert well before they arrive at each floor, and again at arrival, similar to platform announcements in a train station.

5. Car DisplayCar displays upcoming and current floor

6. ServicesPassengers inside the car (where they would spend a significant portion of their day) would be able to purchase beverages, view the outside world on video and watch television.

7. Door Open ButtonAs an kind of weak apology for the massive snafu of building only only elevator to serve a thousand floors, the designer has moved the door open button to be next to the door, which is where people naturally reach when they want to hold the doors for other passengers.