It is for those very short persons (e.g. small kids) who know simple algebra.
The press buttons to select destination floors are normally arranged in ascending order from bottom to top. If a short person wants to go to say 25th floor, it is very difficult for him/her to reach the corresponding buttton. If small panel at lower height with three fields for data entry are provided, it will be very convenient for them. The configuration will be 'Field1' '+' Field2' -->'Enter' e.g. to go to floor 25, enter '20' '+' '5' (or any other combination of numbers totalling 25) & press enter.
Alternatively, provide 2 similar panels separately at average height of short persons & tall persons for their corresponding use ;).-- vedarshi, Apr 19 2008 Elevator moods http://www.elevatormoods.com/Floor 14 [normzone, Apr 22 2008] Mary Mungo and Midge http://www.davethew...dge%20in%20lift.jpgNaah!. You just need a dog with a mouse on its nose to hit the top button! [gnomethang, Apr 23 2008] Some (but by no means all) elevators in NYC have one of their two sets of buttons set low, for short people and people confined to wheelchairs. Some few have straightforward numeric keypads for entering the floor.
Either approach beats algebra.-- DrCurry, Apr 20 2008 I think there should be a numeric keypad into which you enter the square root of the floor you wish to go to.-- wagster, Apr 20 2008 But consider the possible consquences of a missing digit, or a misplaced decimal point .....-- 8th of 7, Apr 20 2008 Floor 2034 is a scary place.-- wagster, Apr 20 2008 [Dr Curry] This idea is for those elevators where straightforward numeric pads are not there (I belong to a developing country). It will be expensive to replace all press buttons with such pads; modification involving algebra will be a cheaper solution.
I conceived this idea after observing my son facing the problem mentioned in original description.-- vedarshi, Apr 21 2008 Isn't there something about the decimal system that would end up sending a lot of people who are not good with numbers to the 9th floor?-- Canuck, Apr 21 2008 [8th of 7], [Canuck]Why will the decimal system be required? Only to complicate the things through redundancy?-- vedarshi, Apr 21 2008 vedarshi: I have an even simpler, cheaper solution for you then: a step stool.-- DrCurry, Apr 21 2008 Forget the keypad. Just have a dial (with all the floors on it) and a button. This also makes it harder for a prankster to select every floor.-- phoenix, Apr 21 2008 I love this! +++++-- blissmiss, Apr 21 2008 Forget the dial, too - just throw in a voice recognition thing, judging by the phone menu systems they seem to work quite well these days. It could also remember voices and cancel the previous request upon receiving a new one, thus solving the prankster problem.-- xipetotec, Apr 21 2008 [DrCurry] //vedarshi: I have an even simpler, cheaper solution for you then: a step stool//
So by providing stepped stool you mean to waste space & put extra load to consume more power on continuous basis !?-- vedarshi, Apr 22 2008 or an ever better solution for this fattening planet,
take a coathanger with you, and take the stairs (coat hanger if you cant reach the handle)-- g00r, Apr 23 2008 random, halfbakery