In terms of modern innovation, lifts are one of the most incredible inventions of the last century. It’s difficult to imagine the modern landscape without the inclusion of lifts as they play such an integral part in today’s building processes.

For example, instead of building up, as is the modern practice, towns and cities would have needed to build out, which would mean cities would be sprawling centres, the boundaries of which could reach hundreds of miles, rather than the compact metropolises which they are today.

The History of Lifts

Incredibly, lifts in one form or another have been around for thousands of years. There is recorded evidence of lifts being used in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt. These lifts were operated by a system of ropes and pulleys and were only available to the richest members of society.

In the last two hundred years mechanical lifts were developed and began to be put to use all over the world allowing easier travel around buildings that had one or more floor. However, it wasn’t until the early part of the 19th century that the first lift which featured a safety braking system was patented.

Lift Safety

The Otis lift company was the first to come up with a viable design which would increase lift safety and so increase the use of lifts all over the world. Their lift patent was revealed at the World’s Fair of New York in the early 1900’s and was an instant hit which led to many other companies coming up with their own designs.

Today, lifts are safer than ever and statistically they are much safer than escalators. There are very few recorded instances of people dying in lift accidents and most of the accidents that do occur involve lift technicians and not members of the general public.

Lift technology is forever expanding and today all sorts of new innovations are being put into place which will increase lift safety and help aid security in buildings. For example, some lifts are being developed that actually smell passengers to ascertain whether or not they are residents in the building and if they don’t recognise the smell the lift will not operate.

In addition lifts are in development so that they can travel at incredible speeds meaning that passengers will be able to travel and many as eighty floors in less than ten seconds. This type of innovation is already being utilised in super skyscrapers which are being constructed all over the world.

Our blog post today is by Jade Coleman, Jade works within the construction industy and enjoys to frequently blogging about her findings and revellations.