A mobility device that can accommodate speed sensitive steering, adaptive speed control, a wide weight range of users, an abrupt change in weight, traction control, active stabilization that can affect the acceleration range of the mobility device and minimize back falls, and enhanced redundancy that can affect the reliability and safety of the mobility device.

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

A variable gauge train control device comprises an inverter, a location detector, and a torque calculator. The inverter collectively controls torques of main electric motors. The location detector detects an entry into a gauge changeover section. The torque calculator, upon detection by the location detector of the entry into the gauge changeover section, suspends idling control that otherwise restricts the torques of the main electric motors and calculates a first torque pattern for making the inverter operate in accordance with the torques of the main electric motors.

This invention concerns an electric drive system (200) for driving an output. The electric drive system comprises: a first electric motor (250) arranged to drive a first input shaft (230) at a first angular velocity, ω.sub.1, and a second electric motor (260) arranged to drive a second input shaft (240) at a second angular velocity, ω.sub.2. A gear mechanism (210) is provided and is arranged to transmit angular rotation of the first (230) and second (240) input shafts to drive the output (220) at an output angular velocity, ω.sub.out, such that ω.sub.out is proportional to aω.sub.1-bω.sub.2, where a and b are constants. The electric drive system (200) further comprises a controller (270) arranged to control operation of the first (250) and second (260) electric motors. When the output (220) is to be driven from ω.sub.out=0, the controller (270) is arranged to control the first (250) and second (260) electric motors to drive the first (230) and second (240) input shafts. The input shafts are driven in a first phase to primary first and second angular velocities, ω.sub.1,p and ω.sub.2,p, such that aω.sub.1,p≈bω.sub.2,p. The input shafts are also subsequently driven in a second phase in which the first angular velocity, ω.sub.1, or the second angular velocity, ω.sub.2, or both are varied such that aω 1≠b.sub.ω2 and the output is driven from ω.sub.out=0. The result of this is that the motors run in a more efficient part of their output profile, even whilst the vehicle is at rest, pulling off (especially in situations of high output load such as on off-road or otherwise difficult terrain), or moving at low velocity.

A method for operating an electric motor for braking a vehicle, including controlling the electric motor in such a way that the vehicle is slowed or decelerated with the aid of a motor braking torque exerted by the controlled electric motor. The method includes ascertaining whether a requested setpoint speed change is in a predefined normal range, and if so, the electric motor is controlled in such a way that a load to be applied by the electric motor remains less than or equal to a nominal load capacity of the electric motor. If the requested setpoint speed change is outside the predefined normal range, the electric motor is controlled in such a way that the load to be applied by the electric motor exceeds the nominal load capacity of the electric motor, at least during a predefined overload operation time interval.

A system and method for preventing instability of a vehicle due to regenerative braking of a rear wheel are provided, which previously reduce a regenerative braking amount, thus securing vehicle stability and updating a regenerative brake map according to a braking situation, may include a first controller configured of distributing braking torque of front and rear wheels for a deceleration level according to a basic regenerative braking distribution ratio on a regenerative brake map on the basis of a driver demand braking amount, and configured of previously reducing a rear-wheel regenerative braking torque of the rear wheel to a first reference value or less than the first reference value in an adjustment section between first and second deceleration; and a second controller connected to the first controller and configured of further reducing the rear-wheel regenerative braking torque to transmit it to the first controller, if a wheel slip value is greater than a reference slip value according to vehicle driving information during braking of the vehicle.

A robotic cleaner includes a cleaning assembly for cleaning a surface and a main robot body. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and a width of the cleaning assembly is greater than a width of the main robot body. A robotic cleaning system includes a main robot body and a plurality of cleaning assemblies for cleaning a surface. The main robot body houses a drive system to cause movement of the robotic cleaner and a microcontroller to control the movement of the robotic cleaner. The cleaning assembly is located in front of the drive system and each of the cleaning assemblies is detachable from the main robot body and each of the cleaning assemblies has a unique cleaning function.

Provided is a control apparatus for an electric vehicle that can set a final torque instruction value without necessitating a repetition of a calculation. A control apparatus calculates a power limit value of each motor that is used when power is supplied to a plurality of motors, based on a power limit value of a power source, and calculates a torque instruction value of each motor based on the power limit value of each motor.

The present disclosure relates to a controller (7) for controlling an electric machine (6) to drive a wheel (4) of a vehicle (1). The controller (7) includes a processor (15) configured to determine an effective torque (T). A speed demand signal (27) for controlling the wheel speed is output by the processor (15). The processor is configured to detect changes in the effective torque (T) as the wheel speed (S) changes and to modify the speed demand signal (27) in dependence on the detected changes in the effective torque (T). The processor (15) may determine a derivative (dT/dS) of the effective torque (T) with respect to the wheel speed (S). The present disclosure also relates to a method of controlling an electric machine (6) to drive a wheel (4) of a vehicle (1).

A traction control system for a vehicle having a first wheel driven by a first electric motor including a first set of coil windings, the system comprising a first controller arranged to control current in the coil windings for generating a drive torque for driving the first wheel, and a second controller arranged to determine a maximum wheel velocity based on a first slip ratio value for the first wheel and the vehicle velocity and a minimum wheel velocity based on a second slip ratio value for the first wheel and the vehicle velocity. The second controller communicates to the first controller the maximum and minimum values and a torque demand value corresponding to a drive torque for driving the first wheel. The first controller controls current in the coil windings to generate a drive torque based on the maximum and minimum wheel velocity and torque demand values from the second controller.