a HackZurich 2022 project
Elevator rides tend to be mundane in large buildings, like skyscrapers or hospitals. These places also tend to be high-pressure environments, which is why providing even a tiny bit of entertainment to the passengers is an endeavor worthy of pursuing!
We started to think what are the main characteristics of elevator rides. How about the infamous elevator music?
Music can be FUN, especially in a more party-setting. It's time to introduce the party to the daily lives of office workers etc. by allowing them to become the elevator DJs.
Our application has two main parts - a mobile client app and node.js server app, which would be in the elevator and play the music. The passengers can use the app to add some super-cool, well-known, and liked effects like reverb or phaser. To make the rides convenient for everyone as well as use the Schindler's API, these should communicate with a dedicated scheduler instead which would group the passengers willing to DJ and the ones preferring to travel in silence aside.
Thinking even further, one could add a system of input based on gestures. E.g. a nod could pace the music up, because taking the phone out of the pocket just to play a bit could be too annoying for some!
However, you may ask, would you have to always be mixing music on your way to work? Of course, not! The Elevator DJ is just one component of our concept to enhance your daily journey in the Y-axis. The mobile application allows you to select which activities do you fancy - it may be another game, or just reading up news! In the future, an elevator assigned to you would be taking you to your target floor together with people who chose the same activity as you. For now, we mocked up the scheduler part - but you get the idea!
We have worked with technologies that aren't our field of expertise. I am an astronomer and work with Python, while Marta is a brilliant backend engineer. Working with react.js and the mobile app was quite fun and invigorating, although it was difficult a bit. We really had to speedrun a few tutorials first! However, it is really nice to step out of your comfort zone and not fall into a routine too much.
- Preferences selection in Android app
- Scheduler - currently mocked!
- Elevator music DJ
- More elevator fun - games (e.g. Geoguesser), news, learning a new word in a foreign language