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W. Montague
Otis Elevator Company
Kh. Eghtesadi and D. Burton
AccessWorld Solutions,
American Foundation for the Blind
Summary
Over the last several years many elevator manufacturers have developed new elevator control systems that require passengers to enter their destination floor on an entry device located in the hallway or elevator lobby prior to entering the elevator car. These new systems pose a unique challenge when interfacing with passengers with disabilities. At the input device, the passengers must enter their destination and be directed to the assigned car. The elevator car must then provide some unique means of confirming that it is the assigned car.
To assure the accessibility and usability of this advanced elevator control system for disabled passengers, Otis Elevator Company engaged AccessWorld Solutions (AWS), the consulting division of the American Foundation for the Blind. The purpose was to evaluate the accessibility features of Otis' elevator control system and provide recommendations for making this system more usable for people with disabilities.
This paper describes the features and benefits of this new destination-based elevator control. It also shows how the accessibility features of this system will improve the usability of the system for people with disabilities.
Overview of Destination-Based Elevator Control System
Recently, Otis Elevator Company initiated development of an advanced elevator control system. This system uses destination-based dispatching. Basically the elevator controller knows the destination of the passenger prior to the passenger entering the elevator and dispatches the most efficient car available. When the car arrives, passengers enter and the elevator car takes them to their destination with no further action required by the passenger.
With this new elevator system Otis will introduce two new input devices which interface with the elevator passenger. The first of these devices is a mechanical keypad. The mechanical keypad input device has a 3.8" LCD display, a standard telephone style keypad, and a speaker which provides voice output for verbal enunciation. The keypad is provided with visual characters centered on the keys and a single raised nib located on the five key to orient the user's hand. Located immediately below the keypad arrangement is an Accessibility Function button which spans the width of the keypad and activates the elevator system's audible signals. The Accessibility Function button is identified by the international symbol for Accessibility and three raised dots in the form of an equilateral triangle.
The second input device is a 10.4" touch screen. While currently inaccessible for the blind passenger, the touch screen can be utilized by the passengers who have low vision or use a wheel chair. The touch screen display has software customizable to fit the requirements of both the customer and building applications. The touch screen can be equipped with an optional directory function which allows the passenger to enter their destination by selecting a building tenant from a drop-down listing.
Although this advanced system has unique features, it creates challenges for people with disabilities. In attempting to solve this challenge, Otis sought to develop a system that not only met the intent of the code, but was also intuitive and easy to use for passengers with disabilities. The Otis design team spent numerous hours testing various scenarios, making cost and performance tradeoffs, and trying to anticipate how the system could be tricked if special service was provided. Once the analysis was concluded and a preliminary design finalized, Otis wanted feedback from end users. To accomplish this, Otis retained the consulting help of AccessWorld Solutions (AWS), the consulting division of American Foundation for the Blind.
The system hardware and typical user scenarios (shown below) were evaluated during a joint review between the Otis design team and consultants from AccessWorld Solutions. The AWS consultants were able to use the hardware and test several scenarios using a functioning elevator in the Otis test tower. The AWS consultants tested numerous variations of the scenarios verifying the real life practicality and usability of the system.
Typical User Scenarios for Passengers with Disabilities
PASSENGER ACTION
Passenger at floor 16 presses accessibility function button on the keypad.
SYSTEM RESPONSE
Keypad audible signals are enabled: "Please enter destination floor."
PASSENGER ACTION
Passenger enters destination floor 20 on the keypad.
SYSTEM RESPONSE
The verbal enunciator at the keypad announces "Floor 20." The verbal enunciator announces that Car E has been assigned to serve floor 20 and provides direction to Car E: "Proceed to Car E to the left." When Car E arrives at floor 20, an in-car verbal enunciator, audible from the lobby area, announces the arrival: "Car E."
PASSENGER ACTION
Passenger boards Car E.
SYSTEM RESPONSE
Doors close. When Car E arrives at floor 20, the in-car verbal enunciator announces that floor: "Floor 20."
Recommendations for Enhancements
Upon completion of the testing, the Otis and AWS teams brainstormed possible enhancements to the system. Some of the key enhancements that will be incorporated into the Otis product are summarized below:
* To allow for the needs of passengers with mobility disabilities, extend the timeout period allowed for destination entry input after the accessibility function button is depressed. For this same reason, the timeout between digit entries should be extended.
* When making verbal directional announcements, add a pause between multiple directional verbalizations - e.g., "Proceed to car E to the left_rear."
* When a security card reader is provided in the elevator car, utilize the car voice enunciation to indicate when a card swipe is required.
There were also multiple suggestions for the touch screen layout and implementation to improve display properties for the passenger with low vision and to provide accessibility for the blind passenger. These touch screen enhancements will be investigated further and possibly implemented in subsequent product releases.
Conclusion
The elevator is a critical component of the building system. It allows for the efficient vertical transportation of people throughout the building. In the high-rise market; the efficiency of the elevator system is one critical aspect of the property's marketability. For the passenger with disabilities, the accessibility and usability of the elevator systems are even more critical. In developing their new destination-based control system, Otis has improved the accessibility and interface for the passenger with disabilities. The features provided by Otis will allow for more efficient and productive movement of people throughout the building, including those passengers with disabilities.
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