March 24, 2022 / Cologne, Berlin. Together with the association Sozialheld*innen, the technology company UBIRCH has developed a solution that makes it easy and at low expense to digitize elevators and thus make their fitness for use visible to everyone. The project is called Elevate and is funded by the mFUND of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

The easy-to-install solution from UBIRCH and Sozialheld*innen is suitable for existing elevators and can therefore be retrofitted. Elevators have a mandatory socket on their roof. This is usually only used for maintenance. The hardware developed by the Düsseldorf-based IoT solution provider aconno is a compact housing with various sensors that is connected to this socket, assigned to the location via an app and activated. The solution therefore does not interfere with the control electronics and is TÜV-compatible. The installation effort is the same as setting up a Smart Assistant in the living room at home. Afterwards, the module acts autonomously and maintenance-free. The sensors measure the movement of the elevator and the air pressure and send the data via eSIM over the mobile phone network to a server. For usage patterns that deviate from the norm, the system first gives an indication that the status of the elevator is unclear. If the deviation becomes too strong, a malfunction is assumed. The measured status of an elevator is now integrated into accessibility apps such as Wheelmap.org and becomes accessible to users.

Thanks to the integrated UBIRCH solution, the data is cryptographically signed and can thus be verified at any time. The combination of robust cryptography and innovative blockchain technology increases the trustworthiness and reliability of the data, considering all aspects of data protection and data security. This verifiable data enables all people who depend on an elevator to see before and during their journey whether the route they have chosen is currently manageable. They can thus switch to an alternative route in good time if this is necessary. At the same time, the solution also provides an easy way for operators to monitor the serviceability of the elevators and quickly rectify problems.

Stephan Noller, CEO of UBIRCH: "The social added value of disclosing elevator data is not only great, but immediately noticeable. The concept of smart cities can be experienced through a concrete use case. Citizens' lives are made much easier because they can find out in advance whether a certain elevator is working or not. Accordingly, they can plan their routes differently."

In Germany, about 1.6 million people are dependent on a wheelchair. But the information whether an elevator is currently working or not is not only useful for this population group. Three times as many people are on the move with rollators or prams. A defective elevator quickly becomes an unsolvable problem for them.

"In a world where every milk can can be connected, elevators have not yet fully arrived. On the one hand, some existing elevator data is not yet connected to public interfaces. On the other hand, many older models do not even have digital data. With the elevator sensors, we offer the possibility to digitalize elevators even where there is no budget to replace an old elevator or modernize its electronics. This is how we are driving vertical mobility forward," summarizes Sozialheld*innen CEO Jonas Deister.

Currently, there are about 4000 elevators that are already integrated via Wheelmap. In the future, it is planned to integrate more cities via the software and to equip them with sensors. The project makes it possible to improve the mobility of people who depend on elevators. Companies that are interested in integrating digital services for their elevators can register here: https://projekt-elevate.de/#kontakt

About Sozialheld*innen:

The Sozialheld*innen have been working on solutions for more participation and accessibility for over 15 years. As experts in their own right, they launch political campaigns, develop apps and technologies and pass on their knowledge to companies and organizations. This is how the Berlin-based association promotes disability mainstreaming. For this, Sozialheld*innen have been awarded the German Commitment Prize, the German Sustainability Prize, the German Citizens' Prize, the World Summit Award and the Smart Accessibility Award, among others. The founder of the association is the well-known inclusion activist Raul Krauthausen, who was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his commitment. You can find out more about Sozialhelden e.V. here: www.sozialhelden.de

About UBIRCH:

Das Technologie-Unternehmen UBIRCH ist Anbieter von digitalen Nachweisen von Daten. Die cloudbasierte Lösung bringt Sicherheit in datengesteuerte Prozesse schafft Vertrauen zwischen mehreren Parteien, indem sie es allen Beteiligten ermöglicht, die Authentizität und Integrität der empfangenen Daten zu überprüfen. Gegründet und geführt von erfahrenen Spezialisten für Kryptografie, Blockchain und datengetriebenen Geschäftsmodelle, kombiniert UBIRCH robuste Kryptografie und moderne Blockchain-Technologie in einer innovativen, leicht integrierbaren SaaS-Lösung. Gemeinsam mit einem Konsortium entwickelte und betreibt das Kölner Unternehmen das digitale COVID-Zertifikat der EU für Deutschland. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.ubirch.de

About aconno:

The IoT solution provider aconno was founded in Düsseldorf in 2015 by Miroslav Šimudvarac and Thomas Hollwedel. Since 2017, aconno GmbH has a second location in Zagreb, Croatia. The innovative tech company offers a product portfolio of different sensor and beacon solutions for various IoT and Industry 4.0 applications, as well as the development of customized hardware and solutions. Under the slogan "IoT made easy", the company pursues the goal of integrating IoT products as quickly and simply as possible into a wide range of processes and developing individual hardware solutions on an already existing platform. With K.A. Schmersal GmbH & Co. KG in 2020, aconno GmbH has also found a strategic partner with whom products made in Germany will continue to be produced. You can find more information about aconno here: www.aconno.de

Press Contact Sozialheld*innen: Simone Katter, Mail: simone@sozialhelden.de, Phone: +49 177 8790635

Press Contact UBIRCH: Eva Breuer, Mail: presse@ubirch.com, Phone: +49 221 999 88 233

Press Contact aconno: Johanna Floto, Mail: johanna@aconno.de, Phone: +49 211 93 07 78 09