The Levytator, Escalator That Can Handle Curves

The steps of the Levytator, an escalator created by a City University London Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering Jack Levy, employ free-form curves in a way to make the escalator bend and shape to its surrounding environment.

Normal escalators runs the steps back up or down by pulling them underneath the steps you’re standing on. The Levytator, as you can see in the video, has all of its steps exposed at all times, with the same chain looping around for a descent, giving one escalator instead of two. Furthermore, “The steps can follow any path upwards, flatten and straighten out, and descend once more, all with passengers on board.” This opens up the possibility of a moving theme-park tour, for example.

City University London
Via [Wierd]