A lifting apparatus and associated methods for raising a user in a body of water. The lifting apparatus includes a platform configured to receive a wheelchair. The apparatus is reconfigurable between a raised configuration; a lowered configuration; and a storage configuration. The apparatus is configured to maintain the platform in a substantially horizontal orientation in the raised, lowered and storage configurations.

The present invention is a smart electric wheelchair for the elderly, which comprises a battery for power supply and a control system for integrally controlling the electric wheelchair, and also comprises a body bracket, wherein the bottom of the body bracket is connected with a standing platform for a user to stand, a driving unit is provided on each side of the standing platform to drive the electric wheelchair; and a foldable seat is provided in the middle of the body bracket, and an armrest is provided on each side of the seat, with at least one of the armrests provided with a controller for controlling the entire electric wheelchair. The electric wheelchair is provided with a plurality of sensors which include a ranging and positioning sensor and/or an obstacle avoidance sensor, and further include an identification sensor, wherein the identification sensor identifiably corresponds to a one-to-one mobile identification device worn by a user, so that the electric wheelchair can automatically follow the user's position according to the collaboration between the mobile identification device and the sensor. The present invention solves the drawbacks of existing similar apparatuses and gives the elderly a better use experience, showing both practical and economical significance.

According to embodiments, an overhead lift includes a lift actuator; and a control system communicatively coupled to the lift actuator. The control system may include a control unit comprising a processor with a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and having computer readable and executable instructions and at least one transceiver communicatively coupling the control unit to at least one of a computer, a network, and a data storage device. The processor executes the computer readable and executable instructions to: determine at least one operating characteristic of the overhead lift and an operating time of the overhead lift as the overhead lift is actuated; determine an accumulated load-time parameter for the overhead lift based on the at least one operating characteristic and the operating time; and upload the accumulated load-time parameter to at least one of the computer, the network, and the data storage device.

A barrier overcoming method for a mobile assistive device is disclosed. The barrier overcoming method includes sensing a surrounding environment of the mobile assistive device; determining whether a dangerous terrain exists in the surrounding environment of the mobile assistive device; determining whether the dangerous terrain belongs to a conquerable obstacle when the dangerous terrain exists in the surrounding environment around the mobile assistive device; and adjusting a status of the mobile assistive device to overcome the dangerous terrain when the dangerous terrain belongs to a conquerable obstacle.

A system for physical rehabilitation is disclosed. The system comprises a plurality of motors configured to be coupled to a ceiling, and a plurality of cable portions. Each cable portion is connected at a first end to a motor, among the plurality of motors, and connected at a second end to a connector element for attaching to a patient. The system also comprises a controller in operative communication with the plurality of motors to move the connector element in relation to a staircase. The controller is configured to adjust one or both of position and speed of the connector element based on tracked kinematics of the patient as the patient moves along the staircase.

A mobility aid assembly for lifting and lowering a user; the assembly including an articulated lifting arm releasably mounted to a base structure; a first portion of the lifting arm operable between a lowered position and a raised position by a linear actuator; a first end of the linear actuator pivotally connected to the first portion of the lifting arm and, wherein a second end of the linear actuator is releasably mounted so as to avoid injury to the user if the linear actuator moves the first portion of the lifting arm to an excessively lowered position in which the first portion of the lifting impinges on the user.

Also described is a method of changing disposition of fork elements of a fork of a disability aid assembly from a first position in which the fork elements are parallel to a horizontal centerline of the disability aid assembly and a second position in which outer ends of the fork elements are more widely separated than inner ends of the fork elements; the method including the steps of: providing swivellable wheels at the outer ends of the fork elements with locking mechanisms, locking each of the swivellable wheels at an angle in which the direction of the swivellable wheel is “toed out” relative to a centerline of the fork element, moving the disability aid assembly in a forward direction to drive the fork elements from the first position into the second position, moving the disability aid assembly in a rearward direction to drive the fork element from the second position into the first position.

This specification describes an adaptive robotic nursing assistant for physical tasks and patient observation and feedback. In some examples, the adaptive robotic nursing assistant includes an omni-directional mobile platform; a footrest on the omni-directional mobile platform; a handlebar located above the footrest such that a user standing on the footrest can grasp the handlebar; a display above the handlebar and at least one user input device; a robot manipulator comprising a robotic arm and an end effector on the robotic arm; and a control system coupled to the omni-directional mobile platform, the control system comprising at least one processor and memory storing executable instructions for the at least one processor to control the omni-directional mobile platform.

A processing system for a motorized mobile system includes at least one sensor to measure one or more kinematic states of an object and at least one processor to use at least one state estimation filter and at least one object kinematic model to predict a first kinematic state estimate of the object and output the first predicted kinematic state estimate for use by at least one other process of the motorized mobile system. The processor uses the first predicted kinematic state estimate and the one or more measured kinematic states to determine a second kinematic state estimate of the object and uses the second kinematic state estimate as an input to the state estimation filter to predict another kinematic state estimate of the object.

The invention discloses a system for controlling the movement of a personal mobility vehicle including a processing unit that receives and processes a location data of one or more obstacles over a period of time, determines a change frequency of change of location of the obstacles during the period of time, and generates a movement state categorization of the obstacles categorizing them into either a dynamic obstacle or a static obstacle. The processing unit further determines a dynamic distance traveled by the dynamic obstacle during the period of time, the velocity of the dynamic obstacle, determines movement probability data that relates to the probability of movement of a static obstacle based on the change frequency of change of location, and, determines velocity prediction data of a dynamic obstacle based on the velocity of dynamic obstacles during various time intervals of the time period.

Systems and methods of wheelchair systems having a companion control mode are disclosed. The wheelchair system includes a companion and a wheelchair. The wheelchair includes one or more wheels, at least one actuator coupled to the one or more wheels, a processing device, and a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processing device. The non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium includes one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to determine the companion, generate a companion profile based on the determined companion, determine a movement of the companion, and actuate the at least one actuator to drive the one or more wheels to follow the movement of the companion. The actuation of the at least one actuator to drive the one or more wheels to follow the movement of the companion is an autonomous control.