Finland-based Kone, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has introduced a new chapter to promote its 24/7 connected services, by combining the voice of escalators with social media.

Kone has launched this after giving a voice to machine conversations between elevators and the IBM Watson internet of things (IoT) platform, said a statement.

Machine Conversations demonstrated how elevators can chat with IoT servers to share details of performance or any potential issues. It showcased the company’s 24/7 connected services, which enables vast amounts of data from elevator sensors to be monitored, analysed and displayed in real-time, improving equipment performance, reliability and safety, it said.

Featuring the first ever escalator connected to Twitter, people will see in real time how these heavy-duty machines keep people moving. In addition to the tweets, a virtual reality and 360 degree video is also available, for those looking for their own personal escalator experience, it added.

The ‘@JustAnEscalator’ is in operation at an undisclosed location in the city of London, UK, and will tweet details of its working day and conditions. It will provide an insight on how data is transmitted from equipment to the cloud and how Kone can transform maintenance by bringing real-time data and insights to customers and service technicians.

Max Alfthan, executive vice president, marketing and communications, Kone, said: “Escalators are the unsung heroes of cities. They move millions of people a day and of course they need to perform safely and smoothly. People around the world were clearly moved and surprised to see how technology can work for people and help our customers.”

“By using different media we can show how IoT, analytics and insights can take maintenance from the ordinary to the extraordinary,” he said.

24/7 Connected Services is compatible with Kone and non-Kone equipment and brings safety, transparency and intelligence to services for elevators and escalators. It uses the IBM Watson IoT platform to create more value for Kone’s customers, leading to less equipment downtime, fewer faults and detailed information on maintenance work and equipment performance.

For people who use elevators and escalators, it also means less waiting time and a more reliable experience. By bringing artificial intelligence into services, KONE uses vast amounts of data from sensors to monitor, analyse and display information in real-time, to predict resolutions to potential problems.

The services have been piloted and introduced for elevators and escalators in selected markets around the world and roll-out will continue throughout 2018, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service