A powered balancing mobility device that can provide the user the ability to safely navigate expected environments of daily living including the ability to maneuver in confined spaces and to climb curbs, stairs, and other obstacles, and to travel safely and comfortably in vehicles. The mobility device can provide elevated, balanced travel.

The present invention relates to an electrical assistance device (1) for a wheelchair (100) having a seat (103) and at least one rear wheel (104, 105) having a tyre (110), the electrical assistance device (1) comprising: at least one motor (2) having a rotor (22) connected to a pinion (4) designed to mesh with a complementary toothset of the tyre (110), and a mobile arm (6) connecting said motor (2) to the wheelchair (100). The mobile arm (6) allows said motor (2) to be manoeuvred between an engaged position in which the pinion (4) is in contact with the complementary toothset of said tyre (110), a disengaged position in which the pinion (4) is not in contact with the complementary toothset of said tyre (110) and a transport position in which the pinion (4) is distanced from the tyre (110) and retracted beneath the seat (103).

A drive unit usable in an electrically assisted wheelchair includes a controller to acquire an output signal from a torque sensor and an output signal from a speed sensor; measure a time period in which a first state, where the output signal from the torque sensor indicates that a forward-direction torque applied to a hand rim has a value no smaller than a first predetermined value, continues; and when the measured time period is a first time period or longer, start control of an electric motor in a cruise control mode by which the electrically assisted wheelchair runs while keeping a running speed at a target speed.

A control device for a power assist wheelchair which includes a compensation turning torque calculation unit that calculates a compensation turning torque value for compensating for at least a part of the shortage or excess of the actual turning torque value with respect to the predicted turning torque value, in which the compensation turning torque value is smaller when the vehicle speed is a first speed than when the vehicle speed is a second speed faster than the first speed; a first target current determination unit that determines a target current of the first electric motor based upon the first manual torque value and the compensation turning torque value; and a second target current determination unit that determines a target current of the second electric motor based upon the second manual torque value and the compensation turning torque value.

A walker with an automated power drive system is disclosed. The walker comprises a rigid frame comprising a left grip and a right grip; a plurality of wheels affixed to the rigid frame; a plurality of drive motors integrally mounted in the plurality of wheels; and a drive motor controller configured to power the plurality of drive motors. The drive motor controller is configured to: determine the orientation of the walker; generate a first motor current component to compensate for orientation of the walker and the resulting torque on the drive motor; determine the speed of the walker, generate a second motor current to component for internal friction based on the speed of the walker; determine a user force applied to the left grip and right grip; generate a third motor current component for the drive motors based on the user force applied to the left grip and right grip; and power the drive motors based on a sum of the first motor current component, second motor current component, and third motor current component. The drive motor controller is configured to determine the user force applied to the left grip and right grip based on a measured current from the drive motors. Specifically, the drive motor controller is configured to determine the user force applied to the left grip and right grip based on a difference between a target current provided to the drive motors and the actual current utilized by the drive motors.

A controller for operative connection to a power assisted transport vehicle that is at least partially directed by a human operator in physical contact with the vehicle, the controller including: a contact surface with a deadman switch, a first sensor and a second sensor each responsive to manual actuation of the contact surface, each sensor having a respective first sensor output signal and a second sensor output signal, and a signal processing means adapted to process the first and second output signals, and control the mode of operation of the controller in accordance with the state of the deadman switch.

A system 1 for controlling a powered personal mobility vehicle 8. The system includes an input module 2, a processing unit 4, and a motor controller 7. The input module 2 receives manual triggers 3 regarding the movement of the personal mobility vehicle 8. The processing unit 4 processes a location information 5 or a distance information 6 at a given point in time, and further, either generate an automatic trigger 19, and disable or curtail the functioning of the input module 2, or enable the functioning of the input module 2. The location information 5 is defined as a location of an obstacle co-located in an environment in which the personal mobility vehicle 8 is placed or being driven, and the distance information 6 is defined as the distance of the obstacle from the vehicle 8 at a given point in time. The motor controller 7 receives and processes manual triggers 3 or automatic triggers 19 and controls movement of the personal mobility vehicle 8.

A powered mobility device comprises two powered wheels, a controller, and a control handle configured to generate control signals in response to being operated by push and pull inputs from a user. The control handle rotates between a first operating position and a second operating position such than an orientation of the control handle is reversed with respect to a forward movement direction of the mobility device. The controller is configured to control the powered wheels of the mobility device to move in the forward movement direction in response the control handle being operated in the forward movement direction and move in a reverse movement direction in response to the control handle being operated in the reverse movement direction in both the first operating position and the second operating position regardless of the reversed orientation of the control handle.

An electrical power assistance device designed to be removably coupled to existing transport wheelchairs to provide electric power to aid in transportation of a person sitting in the wheelchair, while being detachable to allow the transport chair to fold up for easy storage in a car or other vehicle. The electrical power assistance device includes a motor powered by a rechargeable battery, where the motor drives an internal shaft which rotates a pair of friction wheels. A clutch, provided on a separate axle coupled to the friction wheels by eccentric disks, allows the friction wheels to engage or disengage with the rear wheels of the transport wheelchair.

A motion-based push activation power assist system for manual wheelchairs. The system uses motion-based measurements to determine when the user applies a push to the wheelchair handrims and brakes with the handrims. The push recognition activates a drive system that provides an assistive driving force-pulse to the wheelchair to reduce the demand on the user during propulsion. The brake recognition deactivates the power assist. The provided power assist is proportional to the sensed push and can be modulated to different proportional settings.