Assisted opening
Shop doors usually come in three basic flavours when it comes to opening them. You have your basic manually-operated doors, which can be difficult for people with physical disabilities, especially if the doors are large and heavy. Then you have fully-automatic doors, which usually slide or swing open when you trigger an infra-red proximity sensor or pressure pad, or press a button. More rarely, you come across a hybrid door which can be opened manually, but which also offers automatic opening via a button. All such doors I’ve come across before don’t offer any extra resistance if you open them manually.
Our small local branch of Boots has just been fitted with this type of hybrid doors. However, if you try opening them manually, they are incredibly heavy, even if you are not disabled and reasonably fit. It feels as if the motor is actually acting against your muscles as you pull. Even worse, the button to open the door automatically is small and not easy to find quickly. I’m all in favour of making access to buildings easier for people with disabilities, but this system seems to disadvantage everybody. As you ineffectually haul on the door, you look like an idiotic weakling, but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone who can find the opening button without searching for it for 10 minutes. You get the feeling that Boots doesn’t actually want any customers in their shop, making their displays messy and inconveniencing their staff by wanting to buy things.
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It's the merchandisers - You customers keep untidying their shelves..................
by Jonathan Briggs @ 05/04/2008 10:34 pm • Permalink •
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Interesting observation. It would be more friendly, human interaction wise, if the door motor acted like a servo and actually helped the opener. Much like a steering servo in a modern car. The servo is triggered by the handle, which of course is easy to find. I think it is important not to let the machines take over, as we need these micro exercises. Every year I climb the Kilimanjaro, by using the stairs instead of the elevator. So much easier when it is spread out in time and no risk for lack of oxygen!
by Christer Nilsson @ 06/04/2008 7:49 am • Permalink •
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Addendum:
I'm against sensors as very often they don't react. Some persons, like me, lack the level of charisma, that triggers the sensors. It is very embarrassing and you get the sad Portishead feeling: No body loves me...
by Christer Nilsson @ 06/04/2008 7:55 am • Permalink •
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Jonathan Briggs:
Christer Nilsson: Yes, a servo-assisted system would be great, perhaps with a button which would allow fully-automatic opening for people with little muscular strength or wheelchair users who might find it awkward to pull a door towards themselves. I suffer the same problem with automatic sensors, particularly infra-red ones. We have sensors in the toilets which are supposed to turn the lights on when you walk in, but they never trigger for me!
by bsag @ 06/04/2008 5:35 pm • Permalink •
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Nice!
by Sebastian @ 06/04/2008 6:42 pm • Permalink •
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"but they never trigger for me!"
Why are you surprised, women don't need to see what they are doing - Men just don't look..................
by Jonathan Briggs @ 06/04/2008 9:24 pm • Permalink •
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