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Voice Operated Elevator

for hygenic reasons and people with their hands full
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When I went to visit my Dad in the hospital, I had to touch those nasty elevator buttons. No telling what kind of sickos have been smearing their germ-laden mucous all over them. Too bad I can't just say, "Elevator Up, Please" and call for a lift, and say "Floor 21, Please" when inside. The indicator lights would light up like normal so you'd know the elevator 'heard' you. Of course, we'd leave the buttons there for all the whiners/fishboners/snotsharers. I just hate touching things in Hospitals, waiting rooms, etc.
hessenfeff, Oct 21 2008

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       First off, I am not saying "please" to a machine. I hate when machines say "please" and "thank you" to me, too. Otherwise, I'm surprised I haven't seen a voice-response elevator yet. I'm sure they're coming.
phundug, Oct 21 2008
  

       If it works like the voice recognition on the phone it would go something like this.   

       "Please say your floor"   

       "Floor 21, Please"   

       "I'm sorry we don't have a 91 floor. Please say your floor"   

       "The twenty-first floor"   

       "I'm sorry there is no bathroom in the elevator. Please say you floor"   

       "Open the door and let me the F**K out"   

       "I'm sorry this elevator is out of service until you say your sorry"
theGem, Oct 21 2008
  

       Apparently, Italy is the country with the most elevators in the world...   

       "primo piano, per favore."   

       "Che cosa hai detto?"   

       "Va fanculo, ascensore di cazzo!!!"
daseva, Oct 21 2008
  

       Baked, on board the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and subsequent versions. Widely known to exist.
8th of 7, Oct 21 2008
  

       The word 'Please' would be optional; the key words would be "Elevator" with operands of 'Up' or 'Down'; and 'Floor" followed by a valid floor number for this elevator bank. We could also have a few key words (something emergency related) to bring the elevator to the security desk floor, trip an alarm and open the doors.
hessenfeff, Oct 23 2008
  

       Another option is to give the buttons mini cameras, so you just have to put your finger near a button to activate it.
phundug, Oct 23 2008
  

       or infrared sensors, which are probably cheaper.
theperson10, Oct 24 2008
  

       OR three very tough buttons at just above floor level, "UP" "ENTER" and "DOWN". No need for the ENTER button outside the elevator.   

       These buttons are of course pressed by tapping them with your foot. Inside the elevator, you just tap the up or down button until the display shows the floor you want, then hit the enter button (with your foot) to input that command.
Custardguts, Oct 24 2008
  

       But then people won't be able to dance in the elevator anymore :(
daseva, Oct 24 2008
  

       //I just hate touching things in Hospitals//
But that's the best part. Confidently press right into that germ-laden mucous button. Enjoy it. Rub it on. It's like a treasure chest of gold and jewels to the immune system. You can wash your hands before you eat.
  

       I'll bun this idea as long as you're going to clearly identify a voice-activated elevator (for example, not just with a little paper sign). I don't want to announce "Third Floor", "Door Close", etc. -- and insult the other occupant who's thinking I expect him to operate the elevator for me.
Amos Kito, Oct 24 2008
  

       I think this is a great idea - it's essentially US Patent# 4558298, issued Oct 10 1985, which means it's expired by now, which really makes me wonder why most elevators aren't using it!!   

       Actually, don't even need floor, up, down - just need to recognize numbers/designators (two, second, three, third, etc) plus 'main', 'foyer', 'basement', 'roof', or whatever other common floor-names are used.   

       Should also have audio feedback any time it recognizes a number (ie, you say "two", it says "second floor" back).   

       If you want to make it multi-language, it should reply in the language in which you spoke to it.   

       I suppose you could use 'up' and 'down' as position-dependant commands, ie if you are on the 43rd floor and say 'down' it takes you to the lobby, if you're in the lobby and say 'down' it takes you to the basement.   

       How to prevent conversation from accidentally adding stops? You could make it only accept new numbers while the door is open - once it's shut, if you want to add a stop, press a button - or require a certain volume level (ignore quiet conversation) - or, as suggested, require 'floor' in conjunction, ie 'floor 2' or 'second floor' - or add a 'cancel' command, ie 'cancel second floor'.   

       The mentioned patent calls for voice recognition also, ie only the person who called for a floor can cancel it - but this would have to be implemented carefully (if two people call the same floor, can either one cancel it, or just the most recent - in which case anyone could cancel it by calling the floor again then cancelling! - or would both have to cancel in reverse calling order, or would it not be possible to cancel??)   

       There's also a follow-on patent which involves building security - ie secure floors can only be called for by individuals matching a pre-known voiceprint.   

       You could combine 'up' or 'home' with voice recognition and have it take the person to their default floor.   

       Windows Vista has speech recognition built in; I'm going to try implementing this.
HughBothwell, Oct 26 2008
  

       //makes me wonder why most elevators aren't using it//
Because currently you get in, push one button, and you're done. It works nomatter how thick an accent you have or what language you speak. There's already a familiar, reliable system for selecting floors. Even if a dozen people enter at once, you can be on your way in 5 seconds -- even if a couple of people haven't decided on a floor. If the elevator were modified to voice commands, the elevator repair guy still must maintain all the old buttons and the voice system. Some commands will remain button-only. So people still need to press the buttons anyway (for various reasons).
  

       ...and, there's already a voice protocol in use. A person with armloads of shopping bags can say "third floor please", and viola!
Amos Kito, Oct 27 2008
  

       Yeah, baked in lifts with other people in them - also - Wasn't that cool, that thing I saw in Star Trek? Wouldn't it be neat if it were real?!   

       [marked-for-deletion] WTCTTISIST   

       That being said, a germ-free interface to things like this would be helpful in hospitals.
zen_tom, Oct 27 2008
  

       Voice operated elevators were once universal, back in the days when every elevator had an operator.
ldischler, Oct 27 2008
  

       You would have to add buttons for the hard-of-hearing.
theGem, Oct 27 2008
  

       How about an elevator that you cough into, and then it diagnoses you and takes you to the appropriate floor for treatment?
phundug, Oct 27 2008
  

       I disagree with the m-f-d. I , for one, have never seen an actual device like this.
Voice, Oct 28 2008
  

       Also halfbaked in Harry Potter with the floo powder, though you have to be careful about your pronunciation, unless you really do want to go diagonally.
Spacecoyote, Oct 28 2008
  

       Ten people on an elevator:   

       "floor five please"
"floor two"
"floor twenty-two"
etc. the elevator would be going up and down like a yo-yo unless there was something to sort out the order.
xandram, Oct 28 2008
  

       This would impact people's ability to tell hilarious elevator stories while in the elevator - "Did I ever tell you about that time me and the receptionist got stuck between floor 65 and.." - "<beep> Floor request accepted <beep>" - "Oh bugger!"
hippo, Oct 28 2008
  

       //the elevator would be going up and down like a yo-yo unless there was something to sort out the order//
Well, no, obviously in the example you gave, the elevator would go to floor five and stay there until the other people said "please" too.
coprocephalous, Oct 28 2008
  

       As others have said, half-baked on Star Trek an awful long time ago. However, with a slight modification I feel that we can save this idea from an m-f-d.

Rather than stepping sedately into the lift and telling it politely which floor you want to go to, I suggest a more "Jeux Sans Frontiers" approach. In order to close the doors you have to bellow "SHUT!" with all the lungpower at your command. Similarly, the lift will only move if you shout at it. "DOWN!" for down, "UP!" for up and "OPEN!" to open the doors again. The lift would be programmed to move just a couple of feet each time you shout at it so you have to continually harangue it ("UP! UP! UP!") in order to get to your floor of preference.

A lift occupied by multiple people could well result in an hilarious contest of "he who shouts loudest..." with the lift going up and down like a very confused yo-yo. I think it's a winner personally.
DrBob, Oct 28 2008
  

       [admin: The "Wasn't that cool, that thing I saw in ..." has to come from the poster, not the audience. Just because someone else who is familiar with a different sector of pop culture recognizes something doesn't mean that the poster took it from the same source. Thanks!]   

       I like DrBob's variant very much.
jutta, Nov 05 2008
  
      
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