German company develops elevators that operate without cables and move sideways

The logo of German steel-to-elevators group ThyssenKrupp AG is pictured during the company's annual news conference in Essen

German multi-national conglomerate ThyssenKrupp is all set to revolutionise elevators that are a part of our day to day lives. The company, which is a leading name in the production of high-speed trains to ships among others has come up with its brand new rope free elevator called MULTI, that can travel both vertically and horizontally.

Termed as the holy grail of the elevator industry in company’s website, the new elevator is set to end the dependence of elevators on ropes, according to the company. By harnessing the power of linear motor technology, MULTI will be able to move multiple cars in a single shaft making travel within large buildings faster, easier and more efficient.

Traditional elevators, since their emergence in 1854, are based on the same principle of ‘one rope, one cabin and one shaft’ travelling up and down. While this has had a great impact on the growth and development of skyscrapers across global urban centres, the need of a more efficient transport option was felt with the increase in the heights and sizes of these giant buildings.

Source: thyssenkrupp, YouTube

With more people shifting towards mega-cities, it will not be long before cities will be filled with more population that will need a better transport option both internally and externally. The new MULTI system is trying to answer this question.

In the new MULTI elevator, the rope that supports traditional elevator is replaced by powerful drives that will carry the cabin through the shaft. The new drives will not just be able to travel only up and down but they can also shift their direction to travel sideways too. This ultimately means that like those in other rail-based urban transport these new elevators can travel in larger numbers using a single shaft not just within a building but also inter-linking different structures.