Respective electric drive motors (13a, 13b) drive left and right drive wheels (10a, 10b) having friction brakes, including an electromechanical service brake (31a, 31b) and an auxiliary brake (32a, 32b) mechanically biasing them to a braked state. An elongate handlebar (16) for user control is mounted via a pair of force-sensing couplings (17a, 17b) including a resilient member (18) and a load sensor (19) sensing forces applied by a user to the handlebar and transmitting respective load signals. A controller (37) receives the load signals and controls a current applied to the electric drive motors (13a, 13b) so as to amplify the force sensed by the force-sensing couplings and to generate a torque proportional to a force applied by the user to the handlebar and to actuate an electric release actuator of the auxiliary brake (32a, 32b) when the force applied by the user to the handlebar exceeds a threshold.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including an apparatus that includes a motorized base configured to move the apparatus; an upper portion coupled to the motorized base; one or more load-sensing devices located between the motorized base and the upper portion, the one or more load-sensing devices being configured to (i) detect forces between the upper portion and the motorized base, and (ii) provide force information based on the detected forces between different portions of the upper portion and the motorized base; and one or more processors performs operations of: obtaining the force information provided by the one or more load-sensing devices; determining a difference between the forces indicated by the force information from the one or more load-sensing devices; determining, based the difference in the forces, a movement to be performed by the apparatus; and providing control information to cause the motorized base to perform the determined movement.

Disclosed is an electrically motorised wheel, transmission and control module, kit, vehicle and system. The electrically motorised wheel 100 is configured to releasably couple to a non-motorised wheeled vehicle. The electrically motorised wheel 100 includes: a ground engaging assembly 110; a coupling assembly 125 for releasably coupling the electrically motorised wheel to an axle 2000 of the vehicle 2700; and a housing 1902 configured to house: an electric motor 560 operatively coupled to the ground engaging assembly 110; a control system 505 including or coupled to an inertial measurement unit 540, which is stationary within the housing 1902 during motorised rotation of the electrically motorised wheel 100, and a controller 510 configured to control operation of the electric motor 560 based one or more sensor signals received from the inertial measurement unit 540; and a power source 520 electrically connected to the control system 505 and the electric motor 560.

A walking assist device has a frame, a plurality of wheels, drive units, a battery, and a drive control unit that controls the drive units. The walking assist device also has: a pair of right and left movable handles that are grasped by a user and movable back and forth with respect to the frame in accordance with arm swing performed during walk of the user; handle guide units provided on the frame to guide the movable handles in a movable range that matches the arm swing performed during walk of the user; and a grasp portion state detection unit that detects the state of the movable handles. The drive control unit controls the travel speed of the walking assist device by controlling the drive units on the basis of the state of the movable handles which is detected using the grasp portion state detection unit.

A crane for lifting and transporting loads includes a handling element, for supporting and handling the loads, and a chassis for transferring the loads of the crane onto a support surface by a contact arranged in contact with the surface, such as wheels. A drive transmission, such as a drive wheel, moves the crane on the support surface. The drive transmission is capable of translating relative to the chassis to adjust the force exerted by the drive transmission upon the support surface. The crane includes a sensor for detecting the force exerted by the drive transmission upon the support surface; and a control unit configured for adjusting the position of the drive transmission relative to the chassis, based on the detection of the sensor.

A utility vehicle including a housing configured for storing goods therein during transport. A handlebar extends into a chassis sleeve defined by a chassis. The handlebar is slidably moveable forward and backward within the chassis sleeve. A sensor includes a flexible member having a first end mounted to the chassis sleeve and a second end mounted to the handlebar. The sensor is configured to sense a magnitude and a direction of a force exerted on the handlebar by an operator. A control module is in communication with the sensor and a motor. The control module is configured to control motor speed and motor direction of the motor based on the magnitude and the direction of the force exerted on the handlebar by the operator as sensed by the sensor.

Systems and methods for sensing the presence of a load carried by a material handling vehicle are provided. The material handling vehicle includes a vehicle body, and a load supporting member configured to support the load. The material handling vehicle further includes a load sensor configured to determine the presence of the load within a defined range of the load supporting member.

A gyroscopically-responsive power assisted moment arm is disclosed for use in connection with vehicles such as load carrying devices. A moment arm extends to a pivot point such that when a longitudinal force is applied at the moment arm, a sensor senses such force and outputs an energizing signal to a motor to drive a wheel. If a rotational or vertical force is applied to the moment arm, the motor need not be driven. According to the invention, therefore, a power assist can be provided to a user to drive a wheel in a desired direction of transport while not causing drive during tipping or unloading of the load carrying portion of the vehicle. Such an apparatus can be advantageously applied to a power assisted wheelbarrow, as one exemplary application.

A walk power mower having a cutting deck supported upon the ground by a front and rear wheel(s). The mower includes a traction drive system incorporating a bidirectional transmission adapted to propel the mower alternatively in both forward and reverse directions. In some embodiments, the mower may include a single bidirectional transmission (e.g., powering only rear wheel(s) or only front wheel(s) of the mower), while in other embodiments, two bidirectional transmissions may be provided to power both the front and the rear wheel(s). In other embodiments, the mower may include a bidirectional transmission powering the rear wheel(s), while the front wheel(s) may be attached to the deck via a caster assembly.

An embodiment apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving power for a personal mobility device having a replaceable module includes a power transmitter; a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon one or more programs executable by the processor, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for implementing an identification unit configured to identify an upper module coupled to a base frame, and a power setting unit configured to set a maximum power to be wirelessly transmitted to the identified upper module, wherein the maximum power is set depending on the upper module, wherein the power transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmitt power to the identified upper module within the set maximum power.