Research



From personal observations, we realized that traditional escalators are not adequately designed for the various needs of its users. Further research into the traditional design and technology used revealed that important issues that need to be confronted are safety, accessibility and energy consumption.

__Safety:__ 11,000 people get injured annually and 27 individuals die each year in the United States from using escalators. One approach is to redesign the materials used in the creation of escalators. Materials like synthetic rubber will be used to replace the hard metal steps. The speed of the escalator will also be adjusted at the point of entrance and exit to accommodate a safer ride.

__Accessibility__: From product-analysis it was discovered that the traditional design of escalators neglects children and the elderly and also physically challenges individuals with impairments.

__Energy Consumption__: 2.6 Billion kilowatts hours per year in the United States alone are consumed to power escalators.


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