Automatic doors that not only open, but also change lives

We pass through them everyday. More often than not we don’t even look at them. We only focus on them if there is a problem or they bang against us. Automatic doors are part of daily life for millions of people worldwide. Centuries ago, nobody imagined that doors would open without having to push them with your hand.

We will never obtain global statistics for the benefits provided by all the automatic doors that have been, are currently and will be installed across the five continents. Nevertheless, if we conducted a survey, the vast majority of responses would be positive.

Over the years, automatic doors have epitomised the challenges of design and user interaction, aspects which this product has incorporated while generating confidence and innovation. But what is so attractive about an automatic door?

Lives with a story connected to automatic doors

As children start to take their first steps, they are always surprised when a door opens as they approach. This does not normally happen in their home, they usually discover it in a shopping centre or their parent’s workplace. Some of this wonder remains as adults and, unconsciously, it still pleases us and catches our attention when an automatic door opens by itself as we approach – we see it as being natural, logical even.

Maybe there are stories in the world that began upon crossing the threshold of an automatic door. It is doubtless that some people’s lives changed after leaving their job under a toxic boss and starting a new stage in their career; or taking a deep breath before buying an engagement ring and asking their partner to marry them; or was biting their finger nails while expecting the birth of a child; or missing a flight which led to them meeting the person of their dreams. All these experiences have occurred around an automatic door: in an office, a shopping centre, a hospital or a railway car.

And you? Do you have a story about an automatic door that not only opened and closed but also changed your life?