An elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503), comprising: a plurality of elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429) defining a passenger compartment of the elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503); an elevator car door (337, 437, 537) in at least one of the elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429); and an interactive touch-based car operating panel system (300, 400, 500, 900) comprising: an interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the passenger compartment and located on at least one of the plurality of elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429), the interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) having an interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) facing the passenger compartment; and a controller (412, 512, 912) arranged to receive passenger input at the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) and control the elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503) in response to the passenger input, characterized in that the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) is a display arranged to display interactive elements thereon, in that the interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) extends about an entire periphery of the passenger compartment except for where the elevator car door (337, 437, 537) is located, and in that the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) uses capacitive touch, infrared grid, infrared acrylic projection, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, and/or acoustic pulse recognition. a plurality of elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429) defining a passenger compartment of the elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503); an elevator car door (337, 437, 537) in at least one of the elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429); and an interactive touch-based car operating panel system (300, 400, 500, 900) comprising: an interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the passenger compartment and located on at least one of the plurality of elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429), the interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) having an interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) facing the passenger compartment; and a controller (412, 512, 912) arranged to receive passenger input at the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) and control the elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503) in response to the passenger input, an interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the passenger compartment and located on at least one of the plurality of elevator car panels (227, 229, 327, 329, 427, 429), the interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) having an interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) facing the passenger compartment; and a controller (412, 512, 912) arranged to receive passenger input at the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) and control the elevator car (103, 203, 303, 403, 503) in response to the passenger input, characterized in that the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) is a display arranged to display interactive elements thereon, in that the interactive element (308, 408, 508, 608, 708, 808, 908) extends about an entire periphery of the passenger compartment except for where the elevator car door (337, 437, 537) is located, and in that the interactive surface (310, 410, 610, 710, 810, 910) uses capacitive touch, infrared grid, infrared acrylic projection, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, and/or acoustic pulse recognition.