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How 'Contactless Mobility' Is Shaping The Future Of Elevators

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Manish Mehan holds the position of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of TK Elevator (India). His association with TK Elevator dates back to 2002, when he had just joined the organization. Since then, he has achieved a magnificent growth from being the CFO to now the CEO & MD of the organization. He possess strong conviction and desire to drive action and change. He is a visionary- who is constantly working towards a smarter, sustainable, and innovative future to take the company to the next level.

The second wave of COVID-19 has had severe impact on the society, businesses, and the economy, leading us to think again about more effective health and safety measures. India is beginning to unlock as fresh covid cases are slowing down daily, the spotlight is now on the need for mobility services that can mitigate the public health risk. Passengers are getting increasingly conscious about elevators hygiene and safety protocols, companies in the vertical transportation sector have been working hard to provide solutions for safer rides, and most of the solutions were based on digital enhancements and technologies.

Living in an urban world, elevators are a daily life essential. As people begin to return to the office and with other physical spaces reopening, elevators will continue to be a critical mode of transport. Innovative contactless solutions are essentially reshaping elevator commute experiences.

As viruses and other bacteria can be transferred through hand contact with different surfaces, elevator passengers increasingly demand better protection during their daily rides, solutions such as regular cleaning of elevator surfaces, touchless technology, and antimicrobials sanitation are getting ever popular amongst elevator service providers and manufacturers. In response to these demands, TK Elevator has launched various elevator and escalator sanitization solutions as well as advance elevator touchless calling solutions, to better protect the health and safety of passengers:

Air purifier - Elevator services remain a necessity for many during the pandemic, therefore in-car air purifiers are gaining popularity. Most of these solutions employ UV photocatalyst and slow-released molecules to prevent the spread of bacteria and harmful viruses in the area. To ensure the safety of all elevator passengers, we offer the option to retrofit these air purifying solutions in the cabins of older elevators as well.

Furthermore, we can also equip elevators with detection technology to determine whether there are passengers on board, which ensures that elevators are disinfected before every service to safeguard passenger's health to the greatest extent.

Infrared thermal camera - Another passenger caring solution we offer are infrared thermal cameras that monitor each passenger's body temperature as they enter the cabin. Combined with our INSIGHT offering, this solution allows the administrator to detect health risks in addition to monitoring the operational status of the elevator.

Aerosol Disinfectant - Aerosol Disinfectant dispensers are available for retrofit installations and can be programmed to operate during working hours to sanitize the elevator cabin. This feature ensures a safe and healthier enclosed space for passengers.

Passengers are getting increasingly conscious about elevators hygiene and safety protocols, companies in the vertical transportation sector have been working hard to provide solutions for safer rides, and most of the solutions were based on digital enhancements and technologies


Escalator UV Sanitizing Unit - Escalator handrails pose one of the highest risks amongst all vertical mobility products, as they get touched by every passenger on a very frequent basis. To prevent the spread of pathogens and germs through handrails, TK Elevator has launched a high intensity UV sanitizing unit available for new and retrofit installations. These units automatically sanitize the handrail on every pass, to safeguard the well-being of passengers.

Touchless calling solutions - To limit physical contact during the operation of elevators, TK Elevator offers a touchless call solution which allow passengers to control the elevator via a virtual control panel on their smartphones. This touchless call solution enables passengers to operate the elevator remotely through a dedicated mobile application or QR codes, by scanning the QR codes located in each lobby, passengers can access a virtual Lift Operating Panel (LOP), the LOP then calls the elevator to the passenger floor.

We also offer an infrared technology-based elevator control system which enables operations with hand gestures. Right from calling the elevators on any floor with just waving hands to pointing their fingers towards the destination floors, this technology ensures zero physical contact, and offers a high-tech and passenger-friendly experience.

Over the past year, we have introduced multiple solutions that take our customer's safety and convenience to the next level amidst the COVID-19 pandemic:

We offer the following types of touchless elevator calling solutions:
1) Active IR, proximity sensor based solution
2) Bluetooth based solution, operated using smartphones
3) QR code scanner based solution, operated using smartphones
4) IoT based solution (needs WiFi internet)5) Voice recognition based solution

Elevator pass - The elevator pass works similar to a flight boarding pass, and the system works flexibly online, offline, and also for users without mobile phones. QR codes were generated by a mobile app, users receive the code via instant messages, emails or printed hard copies, and scan it with a reading device installed near the elevator. Elevator calls are generated automatically for the origin and the destination floors, the offline usage feature makes this solution especially suitable for buildings with high visitor or guest traffic, such as offices and hotels.

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The Oxford Economics' Global cities report estimates that India will have 17 out of 20 fastest-growing cities in the world between 2019 and 2035, and Indian cities are likely to contribute to 70% of India's GDP by 2030. As cities accommodate more people, the anticipated high-speed growth means we will have taller buildings and higher demand for elevators in these cities as land becomes scarce.

The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the need for contactless and technology-driven elevator solutions that optimize safety and hygiene in elevator journeys. As India continues to develop and modernize in high-speed, TK Elevator has the right expertise and solutions to satisfy all present and emerging vertical mobility needs.