Escalator Unattended Child Detection and Safety Intervention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unsupervised small children often linger in the entrance and exit sections of escalators and moving staircases, posing a risk of injury due to the speed of the transport system.
Innovation Solution
An escalator and/or moving staircase system equipped with a detection sensor, evaluation unit, and intervention unit that automatically detects unattended small children in the entrance and exit sections, issues warning signals, and can stop the escalator if the child does not leave the area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the escalator operates at normal speed, then transportation efficiency is improved, but the risk of injury to unattended small children increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting unattended small children in the entrance and exit sections before they can be injured by the moving escalator. The detection sensor continuously monitors these areas, and upon detecting a child standing still or moving slowly (indicating unsupervised status), the system triggers warning signals and ultimately stops the escalator before the child can enter the dangerous moving section, thus preventing injury while maintaining normal operation during safe conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the detection sensor and the escalator drive mechanism. It receives detection signals, evaluates whether a child is unattended by analyzing movement patterns, and mediates the response by first issuing acoustic/visual warnings and then stopping the escalator if the child remains in the danger zone, thereby bridging the gap between detection and safety intervention
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a detection system is implemented to identify unattended children, then child safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection sensor serves multiple functions: it detects the presence of objects in the entrance/exit sections, determines whether the detected object is a small child by analyzing size and position, monitors movement patterns to identify unsupervised children, and provides data for the control unit to make safety decisions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized sensors for each detection task, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving comprehensive child safety monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves a degree of self-service by using the detection sensor to automatically monitor for unattended children and the control unit to automatically evaluate detection profiles and trigger appropriate responses without human intervention. The system serves itself by continuously self-monitoring and self-correcting safety conditions, reducing the need for manual supervision while maintaining child safety
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the escalator is stopped frequently to ensure child safety, then child safety is improved, but transportation productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by continuously adapting the escalator's operational state based on real-time detection conditions. The escalator operates at normal speed when no unattended children are detected, automatically slows down or stops only when a unattended child is identified in the entrance or exit section, and then resumes normal operation once the section is clear. This dynamic adjustment ensures child safety is improved only when necessary, minimizing the impact on transportation productivity during safe operating conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively warns and prompts unattended small children to leave the danger zones, reducing the risk of injury and ensuring their safety by automatically stopping the escalator if necessary.
Implementation Method 1
the detection sensor can comprise a radar sensor
Implementation Method 2
the detection sensor can comprise a radar sensor and/or a LiDAR scanner
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention is based on the object of providing an escalator and/or moving staircase in which even an unattended small child can be automatically warned of the danger of being in the entrance and/or exit section.This object is achieved according to the invention with an escalator and/or moving staircase with a possibility for detecting persons, in particular unattended small children, which comprises the following components: a) a movable conveying section which is delimited by an entrance section and an exit section; b) a detection sensor for movable objects arranged in the region of the entrance section and/or in the region of the exit section; c) an evaluation unit which is designed to compare the signals supplied by the detection sensor with a predetermined detection profile and to generate a deviation signal in the event of a deviation of the supplied signals from the predetermined detection profile; and d) an intervention unit which reacts to the deviation signal with a predeterminable pattern.In this way, it is possible to use the detection sensor and the evaluation unit to differentiate between the detected signals to determine whether a person is walking quickly through the entrance section and/or the exit section in order to enter or exit the escalator and/or moving walkway, or whether a smaller person is staying in the entrance section and/or the exit section for longer than necessary to walk through.