Patient support apparatuses with navigation and guidance systems

A patient support apparatus system comprising:

• (a) a patient support apparatus comprising:
• a frame;
• a plurality of wheels;
• a motor for driving a first one of the wheels;
• an actuator for steering the patient support apparatus;
• a support surface supported by the frame and adapted to support a patient thereon;
• an image sensor positioned at the patient support apparatus, the image sensor adapted to capture images of an area within a field of view of the image sensor;
• a wireless transceiver adapted to transmit location information indicating a location of the patient support apparatus;
• an exit detection system adapted to detect if the patient supported on the support surface may be about to exit the patient support apparatus;
• and
• a control system in communication with the exit detection system and the image sensor, the control system adapted to analyze the images to detect objects within the field of view, to identify at least some of the detected objects, to determine a relative velocity of the detected objects to the patient support apparatus, to use the relative velocity to determine if any of the detected objects have a likelihood of collision with the patient support apparatus that exceeds a threshold, to control the motor and the actuator in order to reduce the likelihood of collision below the threshold, and to reduce a speed of the motor if the exit detection system detects that the patient supported on the support surface may be about to exit the patient support apparatus;
• and
• (b) a server adapted to receive the location information from the wireless transceiver, to maintain a log of locations in which the patient support apparatus has traveled, and to communicate the log to an electronic device to allow a user to determine where the patient support apparatus has previously moved within a healthcare facility.