Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Driving efficiency and sustainability with AWS innovation mechanisms (INO106)

Summary

KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, partnered with AWS to tackle people flow challenges in urban environments.
KONE has a significant role in urban life, moving one billion people daily with 1.6 million units and 30,000 technicians globally.
The company faced challenges in adaptability, situational awareness, people flow design and management, data insights, and tool support.
AWS and KONE utilized AWS innovation mechanisms, including the IoT TwinMaker and the Working Backwards method, to create a digital twin for people flow.
The digital twin prototype for KONE's headquarters in Espoo, Finland, allowed real-time monitoring of elevator movement and passenger service levels.
The prototype was extended to include a service robot and real-time video streams from elevators.
The Working Backwards method helped KONE focus on stakeholder alignment and trust, defining customer challenges, and creating a vision for a digital twin product.
The prototype was developed into a real-time monitoring application for metro stations, piloted in the Nordics, and is expected to expand to other building types.
The project emphasized efficiency, sustainability, and stakeholder involvement, with AWS providing support through the PACE team and other resources.

KONE's innovation journey with AWS highlights the importance of deeply understanding customer challenges and working backwards to create solutions that address those challenges.
The use of AWS IoT TwinMaker and other AWS services demonstrates the potential of cloud technology and IoT to revolutionize traditional industries like elevator and escalator services.
The Working Backwards method is a structured approach to innovation that starts with customer needs and ends with a tangible product, ensuring that the solution is customer-centric and aligned with business goals.
The digital twin technology has practical applications beyond manufacturing, as shown by KONE's use case in optimizing people flow in metro stations, which can lead to improved urban mobility and quality of life.
The project's focus on sustainability and efficient use of resources aligns with broader industry trends towards environmentally responsible business practices and the use of managed services and serverless design to minimize idle infrastructure.
AWS's support mechanisms, such as the PACE team, are instrumental in helping customers like KONE accelerate their innovation journeys and bring ideas to life efficiently.
The success of the KONE prototype and its potential scalability suggest that similar digital twin solutions could be applied to various industries and use cases, offering insights into the future of smart infrastructure and urban planning.