A German company is developing an elevator that can move horizontally between buildings

German company Thyssenkrupp is developing a new cordless elevator system called MULTI, which they say will usher in a new era of mobility in architecture and architectural design, foreign media reported. Most elevators on the market today are cable drawn, based on elevators designed more than 160 years ago. Thyssenkrupp argues that this limits the way many tall buildings are designed and built.

Using the same linear motor technology used in maglev trains, the MULTI system under development essentially does away with the traditional cable and counterweight system, making elevator carriages "little trains" with tracks on building walls.

Thysenkrupp is one of the companies that has equipped its staff with VR Hololens systems for maintenance tasks, so it's not surprising to develop such a breakthrough innovation. This is not just a revolution in architectural design, the company says, but the innovation is crucial as 70 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of the century. In these urban areas, high-rise buildings are the best choice because they have a small footprint and save a lot of space. In Thysenkrupp's video, we can see elevator cars even moving horizontally between buildings, with multiple cars circulating in each well.

The company also explained how the MULTI elevator system uses a lift car that weighs only 50kg, which means the new car can save significantly on energy consumption compared to the current 300kg elevator car.