🏢 Simple Elevator Simulator

An interactive elevator scheduling simulator that visualizes and compares different elevator dispatch algorithms in real-time.

Features

• Configurable Building: 2-24 floors, 2-12 elevators
• Real-time Visualization: Watch elevators move with door animations
• 3 Scheduling Algorithms:
  • SCAN ⭐ (Recommended): Industry standard, moves in one direction to extreme then reverses
  • LOOK: Reverses when no more requests ahead (more efficient than SCAN)
  • SSTF: Serves nearest floor first (educational purposes, can cause starvation)
• Manual & Automatic Modes: Manual assignment or algorithm-based dispatch
• Configurable Timing: Adjust travel time, door open/close speeds

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js v20.0.0+
• npm v10.0.0+

Installation

git clone https://github.com/phatpham9/simple-elevator-simulator.git
cd simple-elevator-simulator
npm install
npm run dev

Open browser to http://localhost:5173

Usage

Manual Mode: Click floor buttons to request elevators, then manually assign to specific cars

Automatic Mode: Select an algorithm (SCAN/LOOK/SSTF) and click floor buttons - elevators are automatically dispatched

Configure: Adjust building size and timing in the Config panel

Project Structure

src/
├── algorithms/          # Scheduling algorithm implementations
│   ├── elevatorScheduler.js
│   ├── scanAlgorithm.js
│   ├── lookAlgorithm.js
│   └── sstfAlgorithm.js
├── components/          # React UI components
├── hooks/              # useElevatorSystem.js
├── constants/          # elevatorTiming.js
├── styles/             # designSystem.js
└── utils/              # elevatorUtils.js

Technologies

• React 19.0.0 - UI framework
• Vite 6.2.0 - Build tool and dev server
• Tailwind CSS 4.0.17 - Utility-first CSS
• JavaScript (ES6+) - Core logic
• ESLint 9.21.0 - Code quality

Algorithm Comparison

Algorithm	Direction	Fairness	Efficiency	Starvation Risk	Real-world Use
SCAN ⭐	✅ Yes	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	None	✅ Standard
LOOK	✅ Yes	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Very Low	⚠️ Rare
SSTF	❌ No	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	High	❌ No

When to use:

• SCAN: Production systems, high traffic (most predictable, no starvation)
• LOOK: Variable traffic patterns (more efficient, avoids empty extremes)
• SSTF: Education only (demonstrates starvation problems)

Deployment

Deploy to GitHub Pages:

npm run deploy

Build for production:

npm run build

License

MIT License

Acknowledgments

Initial inspiration from arunsai63/SmartLift