THYSSENKRUPP DEBUTS AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT
THYSSENKRUPP DEBUTS AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY ROBOT
thyssenkrupp, with partner software developer TeleRetail GmbH, unveiled a driverless delivery robot for elevator maintenance at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, which began on September 14. Part of a pilot project in which robots will transport spare parts and other materials to the jobsite, it is one of two robots in TeleRetail's New Mobility World exhibit at the Frankfurt, Germany, event. The technology promises to be an “optimal logistics solution” for elevator servicing, according to thyssenkrupp. The delivery robots are 85 cm wide and suitable for traveling on sidewalks. They can carry payloads of up to 35 kg.
NEW ESCALATORS AMONG WMATA IMPROVEMENTS
Eighty new and 153 refurbished escalators since 2011 are among improvements at the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) that have led to greater customer satisfaction, Mass Transit reports. Along with new railcars, adjusted schedules and infrastructure upgrades, WMATA is being aggressive in replacing and rehabilitating escalators, resulting in an average escalator age of 10-1/2 years, the lowest in decades. WMATA, the largest operator of escalators in the Western Hemisphere, completed its most recent project, two new units at the U Street Station (ELENET 694), weeks ahead of schedule earlier this month.
ENGINEER INJURED IN ELEVATOR MISHAP IN CHINA
A male engineer was hospitalized after an elevator he was installing in Chongqing, China, suddenly shot up on September 11, trapping him between the cab and shaft, various news outlets, including the Daily Mail, report. In video of the incident, the man can be seen hanging upside down from the gap, his legs completely entrapped, as responders work to free him. The extent of his injuries was unknown.
MANCHESTER’S RESIDENTIAL TOWER CLUSTER CONTINUES TO GROW
Developer DeTrafford Estates plans to build a trio of residential towers of 18, 26 and 32 stories in the shadow of the rising, four-tower Owen Street cluster of skyscrapers in Manchester, U.K., Construction Enquirer reports. Simpson Haugh is the architect of the plan, which will become part of the Great Jackson Street Development and contribute to brisk residential growth on the edge of the city center. In September, DeTrafford was in talks with a company to clear the 1.2-acre site.
