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.

Self-propelling trolley assembly (100), comprising a battery (156); at least one wheel (111,112) which is driven by an electric motor (151,152;1), which electric motor is powered by said battery; a rotation position or velocity sensor (9) arranged to sense a rotation position or rotation velocity of at least one trolley wheel (111,112); a user interface (153); and a control unit (150) arranged to regulate the electric motor based upon input from said user interface so as to affect a rotation of said wheel according to particular drive patterns. The invention is characterised in that the control unit is arranged to implement at least a feedback assisted propulsion drive pattern, based upon information read from said position or velocity sensor; a free-wheeling drive pattern; and a rocking drive pattern, in that all of said drive patterns are implemented using different drive voltage patterns to said electric motor, and in that the electric motor is of a type in which the stator (2) comprises a number of stator (2) poles (7) which is not an integer multiple of a corresponding number of rotor (3) poles and in which the stator poles are subdivided into at least three magnetically and electrically identical subsets (8) that are mounted one after the other around the angular direction of the electric motor.

A cart includes a chassis configured to carry a basket and a support structure having a carrier coupled to the chassis, a pair of rear legs coupled to the carrier, and a pair of front legs coupled to the carrier, at least one of the pair of front legs and the pair of rear legs having motor driven wheels coupled thereto, at least one carrier actuator configured to move the chassis relative to the carrier, the pair of front legs including actuators which are configured to extend and retract the pair of front legs, and the pair of rear legs including actuators which are configured to extend and retract the pair of rear legs. The cart includes at least one sensor supported on the cart. The cart also includes at least one processing unit configured with software instructions that enable autonomous self-loading of the cart into a vehicle. The processing unit receives signals from the at least one sensor and providing command signals to any of the wheel motors, the at least one carrier actuator, the front leg actuators, and the rear leg actuators.

A mobile X-ray imaging apparatus has an angle sensor and a movement calculation circuit that controls the driving of drive wheels based on the turning angle of auxiliary wheels relative to a straight moving direction of the base unit when a fine movement switch instructs movement of the base unit in the fine movement mode. The turning angle of auxiliary wheels is detected by a turning angle sensor and the rotation of the pair of drive wheels is controlled by the movement calculation circuit as the auxiliary wheels turns to the straight moving direction.

A carriage has a carriage body having a loading platform for bearing a load and a plurality of wheels rotatably retained to the loading platform, an operation handle connected to the carriage body and grasped by a user operating the carriage, a sensor for measuring information related to a force applied to the operation handle, and a driving device for outputting a driving force based on a result of detection by the sensor to any of the plurality of wheels.

A carriage is used to convey a load. The carriage has a carriage body having a frame and a plurality of wheels rotatably retained to the frame, a loading platform supported to the carriage body and bearing the load, a sensor for detecting a relative movement between the carriage body and the loading platform, and a driving device for outputting a driving force based on a result of detection by the sensor to any of the plurality of wheels.

A push cart according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a wheel, a body frame, and a lighting device. The body frame includes a handle portion and rotatably supports the wheel. The body frame is configured to be able to mount a loading platform on the body frame. The handle portion is gripped by a user of the push cart. The lighting device emits light.

An electric push cart includes a motor; a drive wheel that is rotationally driven by the motor; a cart frame that rotatably supports the drive wheel and includes left and right handles for a user to hold; a controller that drives the motor and issues a warning. The controller issues a warning when a motor-stop condition is fulfilled as a result of an increase in load on the motor when driving the motor and stops the drive of the motor after a given time has elapsed.

An electronic pallet (e-pallet) includes a superstructure mounted to a wheeled base platform. A tether device defines an articulation angle with respect to a leading edge of the superstructure, and is grasped by an operator towing the e-pallet. A motor connected to driven road wheels transmits a drive torque to the road wheels responsive to motor control signals, including a desired yaw rate and ground speed. A speed sensor, angle sensor, and length sensor are respectively configured to determine an actual ground speed of the e-pallet, the articulation angle, and a length of the tether device. An electronic controller, in response to the input signals, generates the motor control signals using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control logic. Coupled lateral and longitudinal dynamics control loops respectively determine the desired yaw rate and ground speed to accommodate for motion of the operator.

A golf caddy system for autonomously carrying a golf bag across a golf course, recording video of golf swings, and providing golfing advice to a user includes an autonomous motorized cart. The cart includes a processor with map data of the golf course in a memory of the processor and a global positioning system receiver for determining a current location of the cart. The cart also includes a camera which is configured to capture video of a golf swing.