ElevatorNet is an internal testbed at BBN for evaluating DTN technology. Currently it includes several SPINDLE DTN nodes at our Cambridge facility, including one on an elevator. Additional robotic data mules are planned. The first SPINDLE DTN node on an elevator was installed on June 25, 2007 (see pictures below).
The node on the elevator has an important purpose in our testbed. It serves as a data mule that affords contact opportunities of a few seconds duration each time when the elevator doors are open on any floor where there are other DTN nodes. This duration is similar to what one might experience in a "drive-by" opportunity with a vehicular DTN, and is therefore a useful test case for our system. The node on the elevator has a WiFi card running in ad hoc mode for exercising the DTN protocols, but it does not have any cameras, microphones, or other sensing devices.
Possible commercial applications of this technology may include opportunistically updating information on electronic message displays placed on elevators.