Nippon Otis Elevators Successfully Integrate via Cloud with ZMP Robots

Nippon Otis Elevator Company recently conducted a project to test the integration of its elevators and robots in collaboration with robotics provider ZMP Inc. The results show how Otis Integrated Dispatch technology can wirelessly enable service robots to interface seamlessly with its elevators and move vertically within buildings without human interaction. Nippon Otis Elevator Company is the Japanese subsidiary of Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service.

“Hospitals, hospitality, commercial businesses and other industries are increasingly turning to service robots to enhance the customer experience, offer safe, touchless solutions and improve productivity by allowing their employees to focus on other tasks,” said Thibault Lefebure, President, Nippon Otis. “Nippon Otis is working on research and development integrating robots with our elevators so that these robots can move autonomously and smoothly through buildings.”

Nippon Otis and ZMP integrated the elevator and ZMP's PATORO® automated security robot using Otis Integrated Dispatch to connect Otis' cloud system with ZMP's ROBO-HI^® cloud system. This took place at the Nippon Otis Elevator Logistics and Engineering Center, in Sanbu-gun, Chiba. It is one of several pilot integrations worldwide using Otis Integrated Dispatch API technology.

“The integration between Otis' cloud system and ROBO-HI® was successfully completed very quickly using the robot-friendly Otis Integrated Dispatch,” said Kentaro Ryu, General Manager of Robo Life Division, ZMP. “We will continue to work with Nippon Otis to integrate and operate even more advanced robots autonomously with elevators.”

Otis Integrated Dispatch technology is an API (Application Programming Interface) that is designed to integrate with most autonomous service robots. This API approach enables faster and more price-competitive installations than traditional hard-wired integrations, and enables the robots to interface seamlessly with the elevators via the cloud. This means the robot can call the elevator, select its destination and efficiently enter and exit the car without the help of a human. The Otis Integrated Dispatch System also works at the elevator group or bank level, allowing more flexibility to add robots, including different robot models from various providers, and increasing efficiency by having multiple elevators available for the robot to use.

Nippon Otis will continue to focus on the research and development of innovative solutions to meet the various needs of our customers.

To learn more about Otis products and services, visit www.otis.com.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.1 million customer units worldwide – the industry's largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world's most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 69,000 people strong, including 40,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.

About ZMP

ZMP's mission is "Robot of Everything: to create an enjoyable and convenient lifestyle by freeing the movement of people and goods.” ZMP provides products and services based on its robotics and automated driving technologies, including (1) the RoboCar^® series of automated vehicles for people transportation, (2) the CarriRo^® series of logistics robots for goods transportation, (3) services using the Three Walking Speed Robot^® Brothers to create Robot Town, and (4) the Robot Cloud System ROBO-HI^® to manage them. To introduce robots into social infrastructure, ZMP is promoting strategic business partnerships focusing on DeliRo^®, which became the first robot to run on public roads in Japan, and RakuRo^®, which was launched in Tsukuda and Tsukishima, Tokyo.