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.

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.

A low floor electric bus is provided. The bus includes a frame extending longitudinally from a front end to a rear end, the frame having two sidepieces and a plurality of crossmembers extending between and coupled to the sidepieces, wherein the frame has a central section positioned at a lower height relative to the front and/or rear sections. The bus further includes a battery pack mounted to the central portion of the frame; a powertrain having an electric motor and a driveshaft, wherein the electric motor is mounted to the rear section of the frame behind a rear axle coupled to the frame and the driveshaft extends from the electric motor to the rear axle; and a cradle coupled to the front section of the frame. A mixed-material cabin is also provided. The cabin includes a passenger cabin with a floor, sidewalls, and ceiling having steel, ceramic, and composite components.

An autonomous vehicle includes an autonomously driven vehicle frame with a retractable pivot mechanism disposed on a platform surface of the vehicle frame. Changeable utility pods are configured to attach to and be removed from the vehicle frame by way of the retractable pivot mechanism onboard the frame, and autonomously change the vehicle from a passenger transport to a logistics transport by changing utility pods. A processor provides autonomous vehicle operations that include extending the retractable pivot mechanism from a retracted position recessed in the platform surface of the vehicle frame to an extended position that engages a utility pod conveyor channel. The retractable pivot mechanism engages a conveyor channel disposed on a mating surface of a utility pod, and conveys the utility pod along the conveyor channel to a centered and laterally-aligned position on the vehicle frame by rotating the pod into position once centered over the pivot mechanism.

An apparatus to load and unload a mobility device includes a base, a first actuating assembly, a second actuating assembly, a shuttle, and a lift arm assembly. The first actuating assembly and the second actuating assembly are oppositely positioned of each other about the base so that a linear actuator of the first actuating assembly and the second actuating assembly can rotatably mount to the base about a first rotational axis. Rotation of the linear actuators moves up and down the lift arm assembly as the linear actuator of the first actuating assembly and the second actuating assembly are rotatably mounted to the lift arm assembly about a second rotational axis. The shuttle that receives the mobility device is rotatably mounted to the lift arm assembly about a third rotational axis so that the mobility device can be loaded and unloaded from a cargo space of a transportation vehicle.

A mobility carrier provided with a vehicle seat and a vehicle provided with the mobility carrier. The mobility carrier includes a carrier body, a seat, an operating portion configured of allowing a user accommodated on the seat to control the mobility carrier or the vehicle, and a carrier controller. The carrier controller communicates with a vehicle controller of the vehicle from outside of the vehicle. If verified through communications with the vehicle controller, the carrier controller controls the carrier wheels so that the carrier body enters a cabin of the vehicle. The carrier controller communicates with the vehicle controller to control a driving unit of the vehicle via the operating portion.

A seat module for a motor vehicle that includes a carrier element having at least one seat row upon which at least two seats are secured. Each seat row has walls defining an opening which is accessible from outside of the motor vehicle and which extends laterally as a hollow space into the carrier element. The walls are fixed at least partially peripherally to facilitate raising of the seat module via introduction of a lifting element from outside of the motor vehicle into the hollow space for installation of the seat module into the motor vehicle or removal of the seat module from the motor vehicle.

A proximity alert system for a vehicle having a mobility access device that is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position may include a control system, a sensor system, and an annunciator system. The control system operates the sensor system to detect a presence of an object within a defined sensing region exterior to the vehicle when the mobility access device is in the stowed position. The control system operates the annunciator system when the sensor system detects the presence of the object within the defined sensing region.

A wheelchair lift system for a vehicle comprises: a platform for accommodating a wheelchair; a lifting arm; a hydraulic circuit including a hydraulic actuator arranged to act on the lifting arm to raise and lower the platform; a barrier mounted on the platform and pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position; a plurality of sensors each arranged to generate a sensor output; a user input device arranged to generate control signals to control operation of the lift; and a control unit. The control unit is arranged to receive the control signals and to receive the sensor output from each of the sensors and to control the hydraulic circuit thereby to control of the lift to perform a number of different operations. The control unit is also operable in a fully operational mode and a safety mode and is arranged to perform a plurality of checks on the sensor outputs, and to record a result of each of the checks, and to switch between the fully operational mode and the safety mode based on the results.

A system for loading a patient transport apparatus into a vehicle is described. The system includes a loading and unloading system including a track and a trolley supporting a receiver movable between locked and unlocked configurations. The system also includes a patient transport apparatus for attachment to the loading and unloading system including a base, a litter, and a lift mechanism to facilitate arranging the litter at different heights relative to the base with an actuator movable between fully-retracted and fully-extended configurations, a coupler for engaging the receiver to secure the patient transport apparatus, first and second sensors configured to output a first signal and second signal and a controller to determine a target lift configuration during unloading from the emergency based on first and second values and to drive the actuator to the target lift configuration to limit relative movement between the patient transport apparatus and the trolley.