Schindler R.I.S.E, or Robotic Installation System for Elevators, has been deployed at 36 job sites worldwide and installed approximately 50,000 anchor bolts 鈥� a key structural component in elevator shafts. Projects have spanned Austria, Poland, India, the UK, Brazil, China, Singapore and beyond, as interest in robotic elevator installation continues to grow.
鈥淲e are seeing growing demand worldwide as construction projects face tighter deadlines and increasingly prioritize safer, improved working conditions onsite,鈥� said Faruk Osmanbasic, lead advanced installation technologies at Schindler. 鈥淓levator installation is carried out in confined spaces, where workers may spend hours exposed to noise and dust from drilling. Contractors are recognising the wide range of benefits these robots bring.鈥�
A critical part of every elevator system is the guide rails 鈥� long, precisely aligned steel tracks that ensure smooth vertical travel. These rails are secured to the shaft walls using brackets, each fixed with multiple anchor bolts.
Schindler R.I.S.E prepares the shaft walls by measuring positions, drilling holes and installing anchor bolts for the guide rails and elevator doors. A high-rise elevator shaft could have around 1,000 anchor bolts. In super-tall buildings, or in seismic zones, that figure can climb quickly. An elevator group in one recent project required more than 4,900 anchor bolts on a single site.
Transported in two wooden boxes, the robot and all necessary accessories arrive on site ready for deployment. The unit is mounted on a transportation trolley and positioned at a shaft opening. Suspended by its own winch system and secured by integrated safety mechanisms, the robot can move up and down into the shaft, where it operates autonomously according to a pre-uploaded digital work plan.
Once in place, the system braces itself securely within the shaft and begins scanning the concrete surface to avoid drilling into steel reinforcement. It drills holes with high precision and installs anchor bolts at pre-programmed heights and positions. Every step follows a detailed digital layout that has been prepared in advance for the specific building. Operators monitor the entire process via a tablet interface, where they can follow progress in real time through live camera feeds and performance data.
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