The subject disclosure relates to features for improving wheelchair accessibility in autonomous vehicles (AVs) and in particular, for enabling automatic ingress/egress of a wheelchair ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of a passenger wheelchair. In some aspects, a process of the disclosed technology includes steps for identifying one or more visual reference features on at least one surface of an autonomous vehicle (AV), automatically deploying a ramp to facilitate ingress of a wheelchair, and tracking ingress of the wheelchair based on the one or more visual reference features. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

An embodiment auto sliding ramp for a vehicle includes a drive motor, a clutch rod including a clutch body slidably inserted inside the drive motor and a clutch gear mounted on the clutch body, a motor clutch connecting the drive motor and the clutch rod, a ramp drive unit configured to drive the ramp according to its rotation, a main drive including a drive gear engaged with the ramp drive unit and a drive shaft connected to the drive gear and configured to manually rotate the drive gear, and a clutch operation part configured to disengage the motor clutch by pushing the clutch rod.

The subject disclosure relates to techniques for application-based controls of a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. A process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving a request for a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle (WAV) to execute an ingress function, wherein the ingress function includes a deployment of a wheelchair ramp by the WAV, sending an ingress command to the WAV in response to the request, wherein the ingress command comprises instructions cause the WAV to execute the ingress function at a specified pick-up location, and receiving feedback from the WAV, the feedback includes sensor data associated with a wheelchair ramp and status information associated with the ingress function. Machine-readable media and systems are also provided.

A barrier configured to be located at a door a vehicle having a lift platform to enable an individual using a mobility device to exit and to enter an interior of the vehicle. The barrier includes a support base configured to be fixedly coupled to the vehicle. A first side and a second side each extend from the support base are spaced apart to define an access location for the individual using the mobility device. A barrier gate or a barrier plate include an entry position and a blocking position wherein, in at least one embodiment, movement of the lift platform moves the barrier plate from the entry position to the blocking position.

A ramp assembly to accommodate a wheel-chaired passenger to enter or exit a motorized vehicle having a conventional floor includes a frame, a ramp, and a side rail assembly. The ramp is slidably coupled to the frame for movement between a stowed position and an extended position. Once extended, the rear end of the ramp is movable between a raised position and a lowered position. The side rail assembly is moveable from a collapsed position to a lifted position as the ramp moves from the lowered position to the raised position.

An extendable lift assembly, including at least one leg assembly, each leg assembly of the at least one leg assembly including a bracket, a first arm pivotably connected to the bracket, a second arm pivotably connected to the first arm, a first actuator extending between the bracket and the first arm, and a strut extending between the bracket and the first arm, and a platform assembly pivotably connected to the second arm.

An extendable lift assembly, including at least one leg assembly, each leg assembly of the at least one leg assembly including a bracket, a first arm pivotably connected to the bracket, a second arm pivotably connected to the first arm, a first actuator extending between the bracket and the first arm, and a strut extending between the bracket and the first arm, and a platform assembly pivotably connected to the second arm.

A safety device used in conjunction with a vehicle wheelchair lift, having a mounting plate for securing to the floor of a vehicle, upright members disposed on opposite longitudinal ends of the mounting plate, a barrier plate in overlying relationship to the mounting plate and pivotally connected to the uprights for movement between a raised and lowered position, the barrier plate, when raised, acting as a physical barrier to prevent a wheelchair from rolling across the mounting plate, and an actuator operatively connected to the barrier plate. In one embodiment, the upright members are a housing and a support wall. In another embodiment, the uprights are elongated members and include a cross bar disposed horizontally and in spaced parallel relation to the mounting plate when the barrier plate is raised and is disposed vertically and transverse to the mounting plate when the barrier plate is in the lowered position.

Provided herein is a electronically-controlled wheelchair securement system with a winch apparatus that is adapted for pulling and steering a mobility device (e.g., wheelchair, scooter, stretcher, etc.) up and down the ramp of a rear-entry wheelchair accessible vehicle and for providing securement for the mobility device during transport. The system includes two motorized front tie-down units adapted to be positioned in the vehicle at the front of the wheelchair securement area. The front tie-down units have extendable/retractable restraints adapted to connect to the front corners of the mobility device frame. By varying the motor speed between the two front tie-down units, the mobility device can be steered up the ramp. For example, when pulling the mobility device up the ramp, the mobility device can be directed to the left by increasing the speed of the right tie-down unit, slowing the speed of the left tie-down unit, or both. Similarly, the mobility device can be directed to the right by increasing the speed of the left tie-down unit, slowing the speed of the right tie-down unit, or both. Similar adjustments can be made to the speeds of the motors when the mobility device is being directed down the ramp.

The invention relates to an electronic device for controlling an access ramp to a door of a vehicle, the ramp being able to move from a retracted configuration to a deployed configuration. The electronic device includes: a detection module configured to detect, via at least one sensor, at least one element of interest located in an area near the door, each sensor being able to be connected to the detection module; a command module configured to command the passage of the ramp from one configuration to the other configuration as a function of the detection of an element of interest.