Just popped into my head last night, apropos to nothing:

The idea is to place occupancy and/or weight sensors in elevators. If the elevator determines there's not enough room in the elevator for another person, it proceeds to the nearest destination floor, bypassing any active calls. If the elevator determines the weight limit is close to being reached it would proceed in the same manner. Additionally, the weight sensor could indicate when the weight limit is being approached in order to keep new passengers / freight from being loaded.

In either case, the idea is to avoid stopping the elevator pointlessly - which is aggrevating to both the passengers and those waiting to become passengers.
-- phoenix, Mar 05 2002

Anecdotal evidence of overweight sensor http://www.taleblaz..._with_no_smile.html
From someone's travelogue, a tale of an elevator in Italy that indicated it was over the weight limit and refused to move until someone got off. [bristolz, Mar 05 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Elevator Simulation API spec http://www.ece.cmu....549ElevatorAPI.html
Um, a little dry but does mention weight sensor routines. [bristolz, Mar 05 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

K-Tech Load Weighers http://www.ktechonl...product/kweigh.html
Load Weighing devices for elevators [Nehushta, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

I have been told that such weight sensors exist. Not used in the sense that you describe but, rather, to cancel out multiple calls that have been made from within the elevator car (ex: kids pushing every floor button and then getting out).
-- bristolz, Mar 05 2002


don't know whether the weight thing would work, couldn't it do a head count?
-- po, Mar 05 2002


Damn. The weight thing was an addendum (primarily for freight elevators), but that's what everyone fixated on.

The orginal idea was to determine if there was any space for another passenger. If not, why stop except to unload?

I added the weight part as I figured there might be small, dense objects that take up little space but contribute greatly to the carrying weight of the elevator. Then I figured, why not use them together?
-- phoenix, Mar 05 2002


I suppose in the big cities with immensely tall buildings this would be quite an advance; here in the Midwest of the US where our buildings don't touch the clouds, I think I'd miss that magical, comical moment when the elevator doors open and the mass of waiting people on the outside and the mass of elevator-riders inside stare at one another, and they all just have to wait until the doors close again. Seldom do you witness groups of people feeling so harmlessly and temporarily foolish. I think it's good for the soul.

Plus, sometimes I get important work done in those fleeting seconds when I spy some colleague whose "Yea!" or "Nay!" I need for some ongoing project. Doors open: "John!" I cry, "Did you see the--" "Yes!" he says. I ask: "Do we have to--" and the doors start to close, and he hollers, "No! Send it!" Five seconds, tops.

Whereas if I'd wandered down to his cubicle to discuss it in person, we might have chewed on it for half an hour.
-- threeoutside, Mar 06 2002


what if it goes crazy and kills everybody on it?
-- subkat, Jan 14 2003


Nice idea, but just a bit late. Sorry! :-)
-- Nehushta, Dec 11 2003



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