In 1852, Elisha Otis invented what’s known as the “safety elevator”. A metallic compartment that raised and lowered via cables, but with an emergency stopping device in case those cables broke. As a result, elevators became widely available, and construction took off, literally, into the skies.

Since the invention of the elevator, moving people and supplies up and down tall buildings has been a breeze. While typically lifts are limited to commercial or industrial buildings, there are some reasons to have one installed at home. Elderly or people with limited mobility may require an elevator in their house lest they be confined to the bottom floor.

Traditionally, home elevators have been a costly mess, and as a result they are few and far between in most residences. However, an Argentinian designed lift hopes to fix that problem and allow for elevators wherever they’re needed.

The Residential Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator is designed with basic physics in mind. Instead of cables and a pulley system, the lift is operated solely via air. This is similar to the old pneumatic mail tube device used at the turn of the century. Because the car is moved with air, it eliminates the need for pulleys or counterweights, thus reducing the size and complexity of the elevator considerably. It’s made of aluminum and polycarbonate and is entirely self-contained, so installation is a snap.

In addition to the smooth transition between floors, the RPVE has a safety mechanism that locks the car onto the floor it’s at in case of a power outage. Also, while it may seem precarious only to be riding the air, the lift is rated to carry as much as 450 pounds. The company that makes them has already installed over 300 with no major issues and hopes to continue expanding into new markets.

With the affordability and benefits of this device, it’s not too hard to assume that bigger and better versions will be developed, so that one day commercial elevators could use similar systems, thus reducing building costs and allowing for elevators everywhere. Someday in the near future, everyone could be riding around in a pneumatic device. What a glorious age in which we live.