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Humans are said to have evolved from an ancestor that once swung through the trees to get about, free to move through the environment in almost any direction. But today, in our modern high-rise environment, if you simply want to go up or down, it's probably fair to say we've actually devolved. Stairs, elevators, and lifts all take up precious space within buildings, and they're expensive, complicated, or require endless maintenance. Now a new human-powered system prototype dubbed Vertical Walking has been developed that requires just ten percent of the effort needed to climb stairs, but can easily move a person up a vast number of floors.
[...] Designed by the Rombaut Frieling lab in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Vertical Walking uses a system of upright rails that incorporate pulleys and a clever gripping system to allow a user to incrementally move between floors in a building. Claimed to require less than 10 percent of the effort needed to climb stairs, and with no other external energy input needed, the creators assert that the prototype has been successfully proven by a wide range of people, including an amputee and an MS sufferer.
A novel way to move between floors.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday October 26 2016, @09:19PM
Perhaps in industry, like an emergency escape shaft for a mine. But yea, I sat here trying to think of uses, and the only other use I could imagine is for a treehouse, which would be pretty cool as a kid.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 27 2016, @07:17AM
Oh I could think of a lot of people wanting to use it. Just tell them there is a free lunch upstairs.
Because if you believe going up by one of these devices takes only 10% of the energy of stair climbing, you already believe in free lunches.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.