The wheelchair includes a seating portion, body frames that support the seating portion, wheels that are rotatably supported by the body frames, an engaging portion, a left brake that brakes a left rear wheel, and a coupling portion that couples the engaging portion and the left brake to each other. The engaging portion is capable of switching between an engagement attitude for engaging a vehicle body member that forms an opening of a vehicle and a disengagement attitude for releasing the engagement with the vehicle body member. The coupling portion transmits the movement of the engaging portion to the left brake when the engaging portion makes an attitude change from the disengagement attitude to the engagement attitude. This operates the left brake when the attitude of the engaging portion switches from the disengagement attitude to the engagement attitude and brakes the left rear wheel.

A robotic assistant, associated software and methodology for operating the same. The described robotic assistant includes: a motorized base having at least two motor driven wheels controlled by a first control platform; a dual arm robot mounted on the motorized base, the dual arm robot having a first arm and a second arm controlled by a second control platform; a remote sip and puff mouth controller having three degrees of operational freedom; and a computer system that receives command signals from the remote sip and puff mouth controller, and includes an algorithm that translates the command signals into a first type of control signal for directing the motorized base to move, and a second type of control signal for directing the dual arm robot to move.

When a vehicle body is on board an escalator, a control device makes an ejection determination by use of an external sensor. The control device makes an ejection determination by use of front-wheel rotation sensors. The control device makes an ejection determination by use of an inclination detecting unit. The control device switches a control mode from a boarding control mode to an ejection control mode, when at least one of the above three ejection determinations is affirmatively made.

Systems and methods for use with haptic devices. A control system for haptic devices determines a first course of action based on a user's motion. Prior to implementing the first course of action, the control system determines if the first course of action would lead to instability in the haptic device which could cause an unsafe situation such as failure of its components. If the first course of action would lead to instability, the control device determines a second course of action that would not lead to instability and implements this second course of action. To assist in this second course of action and to prevent potential oscillation in the haptic device, the control system also selectively dampens a projected action of the haptic device. A haptic device using such a control system is also disclosed.

A patient support apparatus comprises a base supported by caster assemblies with each caster assembly comprising a stem, a caster wheel, and a caster wheel axle. A patient support surface is coupled to the base and is configured to receive a load. One or more load sensors are integrated with at least one of the stem, the caster wheel, or the caster wheel axle for measuring the load. One or more of the caster assemblies can be coupled to a steering motor, which controls orientation of the caster assembly. A controller can control the steering motors based on analyzing the measurements of the load sensor. The load sensors can produce measurements indicative of both vertical load and non-vertical load applied to the caster assembly. The controller can also analyze the measurements of the load sensor to determine the load received by the patient support surface by negating the non-vertical load.

A patient support apparatus comprises a base and a patient support deck. The patient support deck comprises a back section capable of articulating relative to a seat section. A lift system lifts or lowers the patient support deck relative to the base. An articulation system articulates the back section relative to the seat section. Head end side rails are mounted to the back section to articulate with the back section. A controller controls operation of the lift system and/or the articulation system to prevent the head end side rails from colliding with obstacles, such as the floor surface.

An electric wheelchair operation apparatus includes a sliding part disposed in an armrest part, a dial part disposed on a tip side of the armrest part, the dial part configured to be moved together with the sliding part in the vehicle forward/backward direction, and an electric wheelchair drive control unit configured to control a traveling motion of an electric wheelchair by associating the amount of movement of the sliding part and/or the moved position thereof with respect to the reference point in the vehicle forward/backward direction detected by a first sensor with a traveling motion of the electric wheelchair in a forward/backward direction and associating the amount of rotation, the rotational position, and/or the rotational torque of the dial part detected by a second sensor with a turning motion of the electric wheelchair in a left/right direction.

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.

An electrically assisted wheelchair includes a controller that obtains an inclination assist value by correcting the assist value when a road surface is inclined in a left-right direction of the seat, and performs a downhill turning preventing operation of causing the wheelchair body to travel straight by applying right auxiliary power and left auxiliary power corresponding to the inclination assist value. The controller adjusts the right auxiliary power and the left auxiliary power by correcting the inclination assist value based on a hand rim operation of the user to operate at least one of the right hand rim and the left hand rim in the downhill turning preventing operation.

A patient support apparatus comprising a support structure, an input device, an actuator, and a controller. The support surface comprises a patient support surface. The input device generates an input signal. The actuator is coupled to the support structure and is configured to perform an operational function and a feedback function, separate from the operational function, to provide feedback to a user. The controller is in communication with the actuator and the input device and is configured to control the actuator to perform the operational function in response to receiving the input signal from the input device, and to control the actuator to perform the feedback function separate from performing the operational function.