A touchless elevator control panel at a building in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province on March. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ao'na)
"Contactless elevator is the successful application of media-free aerial imaging technology in real life."
HEFEI, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Click in the air and the elevator will take you to the floor you want. This may sound like a scene in a sci-fi movie but is actually happening in the city of Hefei, east China's Anhui Province.
The touchless elevator control panel is a new product amid the novel coronavirus outbreak to avoid cross-infection, as elevators, especially the buttons, as per health experts, have the potential for high-risk infection.
Many residents in China have come up with innovative ideas to avoid touching the buttons. For example, using a piece of tissue paper or a toothpick to press the panel. "But that's also a huge waste of resources," said 25-year-old Liu Xiaomeng from Hefei high-tech zone.
A passenger is using the touchless panel to summon the elevator in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province on March. 4, 2020. (Xihua/Wang Ao'na)
The building Liu works at had recently equipped with a touchless panel in the lift. The panel looks like a small box. A passenger can simply put the finger close to the button and wait for it to turn from baby blue to dark blue to summon the elevator.
"It's full of fun," said Liu.
"Contactless elevator is the successful application of media-free aerial imaging technology in real life," said Han Dongcheng, chairman of Easpeed, the inventor of the panel.
"The product has been put into use in hospitals and government departments in Hefei. It will also be applied in Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai and more places in the near future," said Han. ■
