Elevator Control System

"It is a great honor to be selected to supply all elevators, including a number of record-breaking units, for the tallest building in China," said Mitsuo Muneyuki, executive vice president of FUJI in charge of building systems. "We believe this historic order reflects the global reputation of FUJI's advanced technologies and world-class service."

The elevator also come with equipment (amazingly) called the "governor" which activates brakes when the system detects excessive speeds -- FUJI even built a 698-feet tower simply for testing in 2010. Room for improvement? Well, these elevators would be even better if they had Mitsubishi's wheelchair-friendly add-on, but well, you can't have everything.

While you might typically associate 45mph with a relaxing Sunday drive, that speed takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to lifts. Would these speedy elevators trigger vertigo or cause passengers' stomachs to drop like they would on a roller coaster? Construction won't be done until 2016, so we don't quite know. Hitachi, however, says the vertical speed demons have the technology to prevent ears from popping and to reduce any side-to-side-shaking. The company assures that its creation is perfectly safe to ride, as it's made from heat-resistant materials.

The elevators are arranged in a circle around a little lobby—very attractive and ultra-modern. To get inside the elevator lobby from a guest floor, though, I have to get through a heavy glass door. It’s locked. Maybe to prevent a cat burglar who rappelled to the 28th floor, broke in through a window, and now planned to make a quick exit via the elevator? I wave my RFID room key at various objects to no effect. Finally, I notice on the wall opposite the door handle there’s a button that says “unlock door.” I push it, and quickly open the door. (I guess the cat burglar could have pushed the button too. Hmmm. Maybe its purpose is to keep really short people away from the elevators?)

The Elevator Manufacturer lobby has none of the traditional “up” or “down” buttons. Rather, there’s a little kiosk with a keypad and a display. To use the keypad, though, you have to swipe your room key next to a sensor. But where’s the sensor? There’s no label, nothing to indicate which spot you have to get close to—I figured it out by watching a bellhop do it. There’s no beep or other feedback when you identify yourself to the elevator brain—you know it worked only if you can use the keypad.More information, please visit: http://www.fujihd.net/