KONE demonstrates smart building solutions at American Institute of Architects show in New York City

NEW YORK, June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, will demonstrate its continuing commitment to innovation ? focusing on the constant evolution of building design and management ? at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Conference on Architecture 2018.

The way buildings are being designed, built and managed is changing. Widely regarded as a thought leader in Smart Design, Smart Construction and Smart Building Management, KONE is at the forefront of that change.

Through collaborative work with Savioke, a California-based robotics company, the company's Relay service robots fully integrate with KONE elevator system technology to navigate buildings such as hotels and hospitals safely, reliably and independently. Savioke's Relay robot is the first, fully-autonomous indoor delivery robot that provides a new level of customer service and excitement in hospitality, hospital, office and other environments.

That's just one of many smart building solutions KONE will showcase this week at AIA. Other smart concepts include:

KONE UltraRope®, a revolutionary elevator hoisting mechanism that sets a new benchmark for Smart Construction in high-rise buildings, is taking reliability, durability and elevator performance to new heights. UltraRope's super-light rope technology enables elevator travel heights of up to 3,300 feet (1 kilometer). 

Smart Design tools and a KONE Smart Lobby creates a fully integrated, harmonious and welcoming visitor experience. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to test intelligent processes and technologies ? like a fully integrated KONE Turnstile that assigns an elevator at the point of entry through the building's smart lobby ? at KONE's AIA booth. Optimizing the customer experience and new elevator identifiers for application in a building will also be on display.

Today, thousands of elevators can already determine problems, call for service and inform our talented technicians about potential issues. Through the analytic genius of IBM Watson®, KONE 24/7 Connected Services can collect data and information on equipment to predict issues faster and more intelligently. KONE's approach to Smart Building Management now also includes smart, connected escalators, providing the same predictive problem-solving capabilities.

"Intelligent processes and innovative technologies are the driving force behind the buildings of the future," says Larry Wash, executive vice president, KONE Americas. "Sustainable, high-performance buildings are the key to meeting demands of the urban environments of tomorrow. KONE is excited to collaborate with America's leading architects in meeting the challenge of making smarter buildings.

"Service robots are a strong example for the smart building solutions KONE specializes in, and we are eager to collaborate with Savioke in the deployment of this sophisticated technology. Innovation like this helps deliver new value to our customers as they look for ways gain an edge in highly-competitive markets."

KONE is at booth #539 during AIA showroom hours June 21-22. For more information on KONE's smart building offerings, please visit: http://www.kone.us/smart

About KONE

At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people's journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2017, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 8.9 billion, and at the end of the year over 55,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.

SOURCE KONE