Wide Destination dispatch retrofit vs AI camera-based lift control
Destination dispatch asks passengers to enter their floor before they board, then groups people going to similar floors into the same car. AI camera-based control, such as SES, keeps the familiar up and down buttons and instead uses cameras to see how many people are waiting and how full each car is, then commands the existing controller.
How destination dispatch works
With destination dispatch, passengers choose their floor on a keypad, touchscreen or app in the lobby, and the system assigns them a car. Grouping passengers by destination reduces the number of stops per trip. Lift makers offer it on new systems and as part of modernisation; for example, Otis describes its Compass Infinity dispatch as reducing waiting times by as much as 20 percent compared with its non-AI dispatcher, with compatibility depending on the controller. Third-party overlays also exist; BluB0X, for instance, markets a hybrid destination dispatch retrofit it says costs a fraction of full modernisation.
How AI camera-based control works
SES uses computer vision with spatial reasoning to detect people and objects in lift cars and lobbies. It knows how many people are waiting on each floor and how full each car is, and a retrofitted command module instructs the existing controller in real time. Passengers use the lifts exactly as before. After installation, a two to four week machine-learning stage tunes the system to the building's traffic.
Side by side
| Destination dispatch retrofit | AI camera-based control (SES) | |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger experience | Passengers enter their floor before boarding | Unchanged: normal up and down buttons |
| Lobby hardware | Keypads, screens or app access at each lobby | Cameras in cars and lobbies |
| Knows how many people are waiting | From destination entries | From live camera counts |
| Works with the existing controller | Depends on the product and controller | Retrofitted command module on the existing system |
| Typical installation | Varies by vendor and building | About one working day per lift |
| Data for managers | Depends on the product | Dashboard with traffic and performance results |
Vendor claims are quoted from each vendor's published material as of November 2026.
Which one fits your building
- Choose destination dispatch if you are already modernising the lifts, want floor-access control linked to the dispatch system, and residents or tenants are comfortable with a new way of calling lifts.
- Choose an AI retrofit like SES if the lifts are in good condition, you want results in weeks rather than months, and you do not want to change how people use the lifts.
The two are not mutually exclusive. Data from SES can show where demand really comes from before you commit to a larger project.