Touchless Technology

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Each day, thousands of commuters will pass through a single office building, all pressing an elevator call button before tapping on their respective floor button inside the cab. This task that presents itself as a part of our everyday lives, can pose a health risk as the pandemic carries on. Thankfully, the risk factor being taken to call an elevator could soon be rendered obsolete.

Denver, Colorado’s 11th tallest building which sits in the clouds at 452 feet tall, Block 162, now features a touchless elevator solution that gives its tenants the opportunity to feel safe as they navigate through the building. There is no longer a need to immediately proceed from the elevator to the nearest hand washing facility with systems like AGILE Mobile being put in place.

No one could have foreseen the substantial shift in our society as the events of the pandemic unfolded in the early months of 2020. Since then, TKE has been at the forefront of research to develop safer options for vertical transportation methods. As the future approaches quickly, touchless technology is leading the way in smart innovation that has changed the lens through which we view elevators in residential, hospitality and office buildings.

Nationwide, workers are eager to return to their normal schedules at the office. While this is an exciting change of pace, it’s necessary to remember that all levels of staff—including executives—could be high-risk patients for COVID-19. Thus, these workers could be hesitant to partake in seemingly mundane activities such as pressing the button to call their elevator. We care about the health of our passengers and feel great responsibility in keeping them safe. This is why TKE has developed AGILE Mobile as a solution to the effect that COVID-19 has had on our modern world.

AGILE Mobile is a technology like no other as it gives passengers the opportunity to operate elevators using their smartphones, smartwatches or wearable devices. This advanced tech completely removes the need to press an elevator call button. AGILE Mobile is an accessible and convenient system which has the ability to move tenants to their destination seamlessly without the worry of transmitting possible microbes from previous passengers.

Once the app is downloaded, it will prompt the user to create a profile to access their preferred floor and schedule. AGILE will utilize Bluetooth technology and connect with a beacon that sends a prompt to the elevator system as a user enters the lobby of their building. Based on the user’s set schedule, an elevator will then be waiting for them and already have the pre-selected preferred floor inputted.

To operate, the passenger will simply utilize the AGILE app on their smartphone or wearable device to select their destination. AGILE Mobile will ensure that every user is sent to their preferred floor on time. This will reduce the time that each passenger spends in the lobby, therefore making the flow of foot traffic simplified and reducing the number of people in one space at a time. Not only will this be a much faster solution for traffic, but it will support social distancing as well.

Rapid advancements in touchless technology like AGILE Mobile are keeping the public safe and giving comfort to passengers that are nervous about returning to their workplace. Once widely implemented, this technology could be the key to getting us back to our regular schedules.

To learn more about AGILE Mobile, watch John Clarine—Head of Digital Services of TKE—give an educational presentation on touchless technology at the BOMA trade show.