GECKO-INSPIRED FRACTAL BUFFER FOR PASSENGER ELEVATOR

Elevator accidents are common occurrences and can cause serious injuries and property damages. If an elevator falls from a tall building and hits the ground at high speed, passengers in the car have little chance of survival. We designed a fractal buffer with hierarchical structure, which is inspired by the gecko’s pad system, to minimize the damage. A fractal-fractional oscillator is established to show the frequency-amplitude relationship of the fractal buffer using He’s frequency formulation. The fractal-structured vibration-absorbing metamaterial in low frequency contributes to the elevator safety. This paper opens a new window for designing safe and reliable buffers, and provides entrepreneurs with new ideas for the next generation of elevators.