Hyundai Elevator's open API sees rapid expansion of participants

Hyundai Elevator Group announced on Tuesday that its open API (application programming interface), which was launched in March last year, has seen rapid growth in participation, with over 60 companies, research organizations and individuals joining the program within the span of one year.

An API is a software interface that enables communication between different computer systems or programs, offering high scalability as it can be integrated with various IoT devices, such as robots, AI speakers, smartphones, digital signage and building management systems (BMS).

Over 30 sites with Hyundai's elevators have already commercialized robots linked with the API. Notably, medical robots are serving a total of 28 elevators at Severance Hospital in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. These robots, operated by LG Electronics Inc., SK Telecom Co. and self-running robot start-up Tweeney, move freely in and out of an elevator to transport blood, samples, and medical consumables.

Hyundai Elevator Co. is looking to revolutionize the elevator industry by leveraging the Open API. The program can support a variety of services, such as using a smartphone to call an elevator or providing personalized information to elevator signage by accessing passenger data.

The API also enables the analysis of elevator usage information to optimize operation, reducing electricity usage and wait time.

"As the Open API operates on a cloud-based platform, it can easily connect to external devices such as robots and smartphones without requiring additional equipment anywhere you can connect to the Internet," said a Hyundai official.

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com