Let Me Get That For You …
At last, a technological advancement that complements traditional hardware, instead of making it obsolete!
True, these automatic swing door openers from Otodor mean that you don’t have to use the door handle if you don’t want to. Or, if you can’t – in the case of people with restricted mobility or hand motion. However, they do incorporate ‘ordinary’ door handles, and their images on the website are of doors with ordinary handles – avoiding that horrible blank look of a door with no knob. It’s sort of like looking at a face without any eyes, don’t you think?! Retaining the knob also gives door users an idea of which way the door is going to open … avoiding any possible painful door encounters :-)
They are available with a wireless remote, a push button mounted on the wall, or a motion sensor. Obviously, the wireless remote will be the cheapest installation option – but it would be a real pain if you lost this remote control. You won’t only miss MacGyver, you may miss your entire house! Then you may miss the window you have to break to get in …
We would like to see some clever integration of the push button idea with traditional hardware – you may be able to actually push ‘down’ on your door knob and have the door open for you, or incorporate a small button in a hidden part of a design. In fact, that really appeals to my sense of mystery! It’s a bit like tipping the right book forward in a bookcase to reveal a hidden chamber behind … and perhaps even a secret slide, or a laboratory where a mad scientist works at synthesising a human brain!
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