ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Otis (Vertical Transportation division of United Technologies Corporation), in partnership with T-Hub, is seeking innovative solutions to integrate with Elevators, Escalators, and Travellators (Moving walkways). Otis is committed to further enhance ​ products with such features as serving efficiently passengers with reduced transport time, seamless interaction with other building systems, and actionable intelligence data on usage and needs with a goal of improving passenger experience.

The solutions should focus on the below areas and should be differentiated, scalable, and use low-cost general-purpose computing, sensing, and connectivity hardware.

  • Passenger demand anticipation
  • Data analytics of passenger
  • Smart interaction with other building equipment systems

The program seeks to deploy smart solutions, which use information sources (Cameras, Sensors, Schedules, real-time traffic, transit, weather data etc.) to improve the efficiency and utilization of elevators, escalators, and travellators. Commercial spaces like office buildings with typically 4-100 cameras or sensing systems, solutions are sought to predict the movement and areas of concentration to offer insights for controlling elevators, escalators, and travellators. Public urban spaces like transportation hubs like metro stations, airports, or shopping malls with 100s to 1000s of cameras or sensing systems, solutions are sought to track crowd movements in real time and identify the passengers’ mood, intent, and context at the edge. Solutions that minimize specialized configurations and eliminate privacy concerns will be preferred. Solutions that integrate with other ubiquitous information (like social media, transport schedules, weather) to improve the accuracy and reliability of the data and/or to extend the capabilities of the system are also sought.

CHALLENGE AREAS

Startups providing solutions to one or more of the following challenge areas are encouraged to apply

  • Automated and Intelligent crowd detection, counting and/or estimation of the people density, in indoor and outdoor application
  • Human classification into subtypes (e.g., male vs female, child vs adult, repeat building user vs visitor, employee vs non-employee, etc.)
  • Human activity detection (e.g., loitering, waiting, looking for elevator)
  • Personal tracking through correlation with ID card, carried device or other identity recognition system, including biometrics or voice
  • Size detection and classification of an object inside or near an elevator, escalator or travellator
  • Crowd density management across elevator, escalator or travellator
  • Meaningful data about the volume and direction of pedestrians
  • Information that can reduce energy or other environmental impact of the elevator, escalator or travellator
  • Ease of integration with building ecosystems products and intelligent software platforms via APIs, services or libraries
  • Ease of configuration during installation and deployment with minimal setup or training
  • Ease of use with minimal training required of end users
  • For systems that utilize off-line training of target objects, demonstration of methods for improving or tuning the system when deployed

WHAT'S IN IT FOR STARTUPS?

The top 5-6 startups selected through this program are offered with

  • An opportunity to work with UTC Technology Leaders/Mentors to collaborate and prioritize the solution at Hyderabad.
  • An opportunity to develop proof of concept (PoC) on the prioritized solution with ​ funding up to $10K per startup* and showcase PoC to key executives of UTC during the ‘Demo Day’ at UTC – HRDC (Hyderabad).
    *UTC is solely responsible to provide the shortlisted startups with PoC funding.
  • Further collaboration options, if mutual interest established, will be discussed with the winner startups.
  • Access to T-Hub’s network of mentors, industry experts, investors, service providers, community/ecosystem.
  • T-Hub will provide T&S* support to ONLY India based startups (local travel only). International startups will pitch through skype/video-conference.
    *T&S covered for one member/startup to fly down to Hyderabad

PROGRAM TIMELINE

MEET OUR MENTORS

BV Rao

Director Engineering – OTIS

Paras Halingale

Technology Manager – OTIS

Arthur Hsu

Fellow, Building Traffic & Dispatching- OTIS

Nichols Stephen R

Associate Director, Passenger Experience Segment – OTIS

Natarajan Ramasivam

Senior Technology Manager – OTIS

Crute Joseph D

Associate Director, Innovation – OTIS

Rajadurai S

Senior Manager, SEE – OTIS India

ABOUT T-HUB

T-Hub enables and empowers an ecosystem hungry for innovation. Based in Hyderabad, India, it leads India’s pioneering innovation ecosystem that powers next-generation products and new business models. It uses the Triple Helix model of innovation based on interaction and collaboration between industry, academia and the government. Incorporated in 2015, it has provided over 1100 national and international startups with access to better technology, talent, mentors, customers, corporates, investors and government agencies. T-Hub also provides thought leadership for Telangana and other state and central government organisations to build innovation ecosystems. It has elevated innovation for leading national and global corporates, transforming enterprise business models for the better. For more information, visit: www.t-hub.co

ABOUT UTC

A company built on innovation and performance with a reputation for innovative thinking and pioneering technology that is unsurpassed, United Technologies Corp. (UTC) is a Fortune 50 diversified aerospace and building systems provider headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, U.S.A.; Net Sales of USD 60 billion in 2017; 200,000+ employees; USD 3.7 billion total R&D investment. We invent new and better ways to keep people safe, comfortable, productive and on the move. We focus on developing smart, sustainable solutions to meet the needs of an urbanizing world. UTC Climate, Controls & Security’s fire, security, building automation, Heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration systems promote safer, smarter and sustainable buildings. Click here to visit the UTC CCS page. Otis elevators, escalators and moving walkways keep people moving and committed to safety, performance and service.​ Click here to visit Otis Worldwide.

Together, we’re developing integrated solutions and creating a future filled with smarter, safer, more efficient buildings. Hyderabad Research & Design Center (HRDC) brings the best and brightest engineering talents in India to deliver new products and solutions and is the largest global R&D center (in terms of engineering talent) for UTC CCS.

For more information, visit: www.utc.com