Robot and Elevator Work Together Seamlessly in Pilot Project to Solve Social Issues

As part of a pilot project to solve social issues, Nippon Otis Elevator Company has integrated a robot with an existing Otis elevator at a Fukuoka City apartment complex. Apartment complexes, hospitals, hospitality and commercial businesses are increasingly turning to service robots to enhance the customer experience, offer safe solutions and tackle service industry labor shortages – and Otis is making it easier for these robots to move autonomously through their buildings. Nippon Otis is the Japanese subsidiary of Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS), the world’s leading company for elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation, and service.

Nippon Otis participated in the pilot project as a member company of the PoC Program established by the FUKUOKA Smart EAST Promotion Consortium. The consortium includes Kyushu University, the Urban Renaissance Agency, Fukuoka City, and the Fukuoka Regional Strategy Promotion Council, among other entities.

Using innovative smart technology, Nippon Otis integrated the elevator and robot so that it can interact with the elevator via the cloud. This allows the robot to autonomously call and ride the elevator to designated floors to perform mail delivery in place of a courier. It’s a solution that helps enhance the quality of life for residents of apartment complexes – and helps address labor shortages in the delivery and service industries, in part caused by a declining birth rate and aging population.

“Nippon Otis will continue leveraging cutting-edge technology and developing future-ready technologies that are integral to modern life,” said Nippon Otis President Patrick Yeung. “We are also uniquely positioned to address the needs of Japan’s aging population, providing safe, more reliable mobility solutions that remain accessible and operational for all. Our automation and smart monitoring support independent living and urban accessibility for all residents, contributing to a more inclusive society.”

What is Otis Integrated Dispatch^TM for service robots?

• Otis Integrated Dispatch is a cloud-based or on-premise API solution for integrating service robots with Otis elevators – offering more flexibility and elevator data than traditional hard-wired integrations.
• It enables access to multiple elevators – so the robot can move to an available elevator and keep going.
• Almost any autonomous service robot can integrate with this Otis solution. The technology is compatible with Otis commercial elevators manufactured since 1990.

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The project was implemented at an apartment complex in Fukuoka, Japan

At the entrance, a courier hands over a parcel to a robot.

Otis Integrated Dispatch™ technology enables the robot to integrate with an elevator.

The robot autonomously calls and rides the elevator to designated floors to perform mail delivery.

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 2.4 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.4 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 72,000 people strong, including 44,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet 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, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.