KONE AND HASAN & PARTNERS LET THE ELEVATORS DO THE TALKING

KONE Taps IBM Watson to let the world hear machines in conversation

Elevators have been given a voice to have conversations in real time, enabling people to hear machines talk.


Helsinki-based creative agency, hasan & partners, worked with KONE to connect selected elevators in different countries around the world. The elevators have their operational information translated into English so they can converse continuously with KONEs cloud network using IBMs Watson IoT platform.

The elevators send data from sensors and controls about their day-to-day performance. That data is collected and processed, sent to the cloud, and given a voice. Ultimately if a fault is detected, a technician can be dispatched with the right parts to fix the problem, before anything occurs.

The real-time chat can be heard at the Machine Conversations website, created by hasan & partners, where visitors can select an elevator and tune into the discussion with KONE Cloud.

Machine Conversations is a way to show people exactly what Internet-connected elevators would say, if they could be heard. It has been produced to support KONEs 24/7 Connected Services, which uses the IBM Watson IoT platform and other advanced technologies to bring intelligent services to elevators and escalators.

Predictability and responsiveness are vital for maintenance. In hot countries, an elevator may experience a rise in temperature, which the data could be misinterpreted as mechanical overheating.

Machine Conversations lets people hear how an elevator can tell the KONE Cloud: "Im running slightly hot, temperature at 28 degrees", with Watsons algorithms reviewing the data to decide whether action is required. The humanized response might be along the lines of: "youre five degrees above average, but its a hot day outside, youre ok".

A typical elevator conversation might continue: "Slightly off on landing at floor six"; or "Idle on floor zero. Perfect temperature at 22.6"; "Slightly elevated door noise". Replies from the KONE Cloud might be: "I'm monitoring that, still normal. Keep going".

Tobias Wacker, creative director at hasan & partners, who came up with the idea said: "Machine Conversations is creativity with a purpose, where weve leveraged Internet of Things technologies and the power of IBM Watson IoT to show how problems can be detected before they happen. We wanted to give the elevators and the cloud realistic voices, now we see and hear them in action it is an addictive experience and strangely compelling.

"Machine Conversations is an innovative way to promote our 24/7 Connected Services. Watsons cognitive capabilities will help us take elevator and escalator services to a new level identifying issues before they occur."

About hasan & partners
hasan & partners is a Finnish success story following its management buyout from IPG six years ago. We are a channel agnostic marketing communications agency based in Helsinki and Stockholm with a mission never to sell ads to clients, but to help them market their brands, products or services better. Strong strategic skills, top-class creativity, engaging integrated ideas and relentless curiosity towards all things new shape our existence.

For four consecutive years (2012,13,14 and 15) hasan & partners was voted the #1 advertising agency by Finlands marketers. Our client list includes some of the leading Finnish consumer brands such as Kesko, DNA, Veikkaus and Valio and our international business-to-business unit serves global clients like KONE, Metsä Group and Wärtsilä worldwide.

In 2014 hasan & partners acquired the internationally-acclaimed creative agency Perfect Fools, which has offices in Stockholm and Amsterdam, and international clients including adidas, Swarovski and KFC. In 2015 it purchased the acclaimed global production company Raw & Land.

About Kone
At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people's journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2016, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 8.8 billion and at the end of the year over 52,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland. http://www.kone.com

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