TK Elevator, one of the world’s leading elevator companies, recently introduced EOX, an innovative vertical transport solution with a digital core that delivers improved energy efficiency and enhanced user experiences.

While both sustainability and cutting-edge digital features have been a standard for mobility solutions for mid- and high-rise buildings, EOX represents a move to bring these benefits directly to the architects, owners and passengers of smaller residential buildings, which are essential to the continually expanding urban landscape, says a spokesman for the company.

Powered by cloud infrastructure from Microsoft as well as high-performance accelerated computing from Nvidia, EOX has the built-in capability to evolve with customer needs. All the components needed for digital expansion are already included from day one, minimising on-site visits required for future enhancements.

Meanwhile, similar to shared bicycles and electric scooters, passengers can connect to EOX with their mobile device to call on the next available cabin, enjoy dynamic content on an in-built multimedia screen in the cabin, and benefit from improved uptime as a result of smart maintenance features.

“For TK Elevator, EOX represents a shift in the value we bring to our customers – delivering the rich promise of sustainability and digitalisation to the most essential elevators,” says Inge Delobelle, CEO of TK Elevator in Europe and Africa. “Given the increasing need for sustainable solutions in every area of urbanisation, EOX stands to make a big contribution to residential buildings which constitute the large majority of urban structures.”

EOX’s lighter weight contributes toward a lower carbon footprint.

Environmentally sustainable

EOX requires up to 28 per cent less energy to operate thanks to regenerative drive technology, a new eco-mode, and weight-optimised design. It  features low-consumption belt traction technology, optimised energy-saving features such as an eco-mode which learns and adjusts to traffic patterns, and a regenerative drive that feeds energy back into the building. Its lighter weight contributes toward a lower carbon footprint, and less fuel required for transport to client sites will result in an over 10 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions on average. In addition, it will require up to 28 per cent less energy to move the elevator in the shaft.

EOX is manufactured at TK Elevator’s European factories that run on 100 per cent renewable electricity and will have a Class A energy efficiency rating. A dashboard in the customer portal provides customers with complete transparency about the elevator’s energy consumption and savings on a daily, monthly and yearly basis.

Natively digital

With EOX, digital is not an add-on; it’s a standard. Every elevator comes with a comprehensive set of digital features and one-click access to advanced options via a customer portal.

Standard features include over-the-air software updates for digital components;  remote activation of subscriptions to advanced options; Agile mobile, to call on the elevator cabin from a smartphone; multimedia screen with infotainment widgets; and digital emergency system with VoIP cellular dialer, enabled for the future introduction of video and chat communication.

The elevator also incorporates an in-cabin optical sensor for improved passenger safety and an accelerometer for monitoring of cabin and door movements to prevent breakdowns; enables view of elevator performance and status in real time; and allowing setting notifications and critical alerts for building managers.

These apart, EOX offer some advanced options such as to monitor and control elevators, for example, to restrict access to certain floors in case of construction or renovation work being carried out; application Programming Interfaces (API) connectivity to other applications, for example to existing building management software. TK Elevator’s full range of smart and predictive maintenance services; capabilities for remote interventions; and content and screen customisation of the multimedia screen are among other options provides.

To ensure EOX’s digital core was to the highest standards, TK Elevator collaborated with Microsoft and Nvidia for the cloud infrastructure and processor core, respectively.

“Microsoft and TK Elevator share a deep commitment to shape a more sustainable future through innovation. Built around Azure cloud computing services, EOX helps urban planners, architects and building owners to save energy, drive efficiency and improve passenger safety. I look forward to our continued partnership in developing technology that helps businesses advance their sustainability goals while unlocking new value at the same time,” says Çağlayan Arkan, Vice President, Global Lead, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Microsoft.

“We’re bringing our powerful edge computing platform, the Nvidia Jetson Nano, to TK Elevator’s new EOX,” says David Hogan, Vice President of EMEA Enterprise at Nvidia.

“Integrated in EOX, the Jetson Nano enables running multiple neural networks in parallel and this capability forms the basis of any future development involving advanced AI and machine learning.”

With customers in over 100 countries served by more than 50,000 employees, TK Elevator achieved sales of around €8 billion in the fiscal year 2020/2021. Over the past decades, TK Elevator has established itself as one of the world’s leading elevator companies and became independent since its separation from thyssenkrupp AG in August 2020. Its product portfolio covers commodity elevators for residential and commercial buildings to cutting-edge, highly customized solutions for state-of-the-art skyscrapers. In addition, it also consists of escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair, and platform lifts.