This audio report from NPR describes "smart elevator" technology that is slowly moving its way into the U.S. in places like elevator-dependent New York City. These new elevators group passengers into different elevators based on their destination.
"Smart elevators are designed to transform the simple act of traveling between floors. Instead of pushing a button to go up or down, passengers first select the floor they want. Then they are directed to the elevator that will take them to their destination with the fewest number of stops."
"The first thing you notice about the Miconic 10 is that it has no up and down buttons. Instead, a single square column with a keypad stands in the middle of the lobby. Enter the floor number and the keypad directs you to a particular elevator. By stopping at fewer floors, the elevator cars can return to pick up people more often. "
