lift companyThyssenKrupphas develop a " crabwise lift " known asMULTI . In many respects it ’s alike to a standard elevator — it ’s a car that ’s plan to move people between floor in buildings . But this elevator has two central technology differences . First , it use motors on tracks to move the railway car , rather than a cable pulling the cable car up and down . Second , the tracks themselves can turn out or be built in orientation that are n’t just up and down . That last bit is what cook thisso interesting .

In a ceremonious lift apparatus , architects commit a columniform portion of the edifice to lift shafts . Those are then outfit with cabling and motors to move the elevator cars up and down between floor . There ’s plenty offancy math locomotive engineer build into optimize the availability and amphetamine of those elevators . But typically , the biggest limitation is that for each elevator shaft , there is just one elevator car . ( There are multi - car - per - shaft elevator known as " duplicate elevator , " but the cable car generally block one another in the shaft . )

MULTI allows multiple cars per shaft , with the ability to scoot cars sidewise as needed , or even to build a zigzag - zagging shaft structure . This allow cars to get out of the way of each other , enable all kind of interesting algorithmic change . The system of rules could put multiple automobile near gamey - traffic areas — and those region might change base on time of daytime or other factors . precedency cars might be able to zip along , while others act to the side to wait . A elevator car might move sidewise andenter another shot , if that would create a fast path . Or ideate a double - tower building — it could have a sideways lift irradiation ( or many of them ) to unite the pillar . ideate the time saving in traveling between upper storey of the two construction , when such a linkage exist ! As a broad concept , MULTI basically remove the musical theme of the lift " jibe " and replace it with something more like lanes on a road — and adds the ability to move along two axes rather than just one .

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Behold :

If video is n’t your matter , read up on the engineering . While it will be many year before this kind of engineering science becomes trite , you may be capable to tell your kids : " In my day , elevator only go up and down ! "