IoT Device for Predicting Elevator Breakdowns
During my summer internship at Jardine Schindler Group, I worked on developing an IoT device to help predict elevator breakdowns caused by cable elongation. The goal was to create a monitoring system that monitors the position of the elevator's counterweight and alerts the maintenance team before a serious shutdown occurs. This project was critical in reducing downtime and avoiding costly repairs.
Design Overview
As part of a team of 2, we began by building a prototype that used ultrasonic sensors to continuously monitor the elevator's counterweight. The data is processed by an Arduino microcontroller, and if the counterweight falls below a predefined threshold, the system would automatically send an alert to the maintenance team.
The system was designed to prevent false alarms using dual sensors and algorithms that required consistent readings before triggering an alert.
To ensure the system worked in real-world conditions, we went down to a real elevator pit to test the device. Despite challenges with network connectivity in elevator pits, the prototype successfully demonstrated the ability to predict elevator cable elongation and send real-time notifications to reduce downtime and improve safety.
Skills Used
Arduino Programming
Sensor Integration
Prototyping
Alert System Design
Team Collaboration