Autonomous ambulance
AssigneeRobotic Research OpCo, LLC
InventorsAlberto Daniel Lacaze, Karl Nicholas Murphy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention pertains to the development of a ground autonomous ambulance that is designed to follow routes that is comprised of an autonomous vehicle that includes a drive by wire kit, a database storing the collection routes, a database of rules of the road and/or other legal allowable behavior, sensors for detecting the pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles, and a control system that controls the vehicle to follow routes and which is capable of carrying and securing a stretcher or wheelchair. The autonomous ambulance also has a robotic stretcher which is used for transporting patients from their residences or other emergency locations to the ambulance.
Claims20
An autonomous ambulance system comprising:
- a ground vehicle having:
- a patient compartment in which a stretcher, gurney, or wheelchair carrying a patient can be secured;
- and
- one or more back doors that provide access to the patient compartment;
- a drive-by-wire kit installed in the ground vehicle;
- one or more sensors mounted on the ground vehicle and configured to detect a road traversed by the ground vehicle and obstacles within the road;
- one or more databases storing data indicating (i) a road network of possible routes and (ii) rules of the road or legal allowable behavior;
- one or more first mechanisms coupled to the one or more back doors;
- and
- a control system operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the drive-by-wire kit, the one or more databases, and the one or more first mechanisms,
- wherein the control system is operable to execute stored instructions to:
- control, via the drive-by-wire kit, the ground vehicle to follow a route in the road network;
- and
- automatically open, via the one or more first mechanisms, the one or more back doors.
An autonomous ambulance system comprising:
- a ground vehicle having a patient compartment in which a stretcher, gurney, or wheelchair carrying a patient can be secured;
- a drive-by-wire kit installed in the ground vehicle;
- one or more sensors mounted on the ground vehicle and configured to detect a road traversed by the ground vehicle and obstacles within the road;
- one or more databases storing data indicating (i) a road network of possible routes, (ii) rules of the road or legal allowable behavior, and (iii) a set of emergency rules that override the rules of the road in emergency situations;
- and
- a control system operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the drive-by-wire kit, and the one or more databases,
- wherein the control system is operable to execute stored instructions to control, via the drive-by-wire kit, the ground vehicle to follow a route in the road network based on the data stored in the one or more databases, and
- wherein the set of emergency rules comprises rules for running red lights, exceeding a speed limit, crossing into oncoming traffic, or stopping in otherwise prohibited locations.
An autonomous ambulance system comprising:
- a ground vehicle having a patient compartment in which a stretcher, gurney, or wheelchair carrying a patient can be secured;
- a drive-by-wire kit installed in the ground vehicle;
- one or more sensors mounted on the ground vehicle and configured to detect a road traversed by the ground vehicle and obstacles within the road;
- one or more databases storing data indicating (i) a road network of possible route and (ii) rules of the road or legal allowable behavior;
- and
- a control system operatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the drive-by-wire kit, and the one or more databases,
- wherein the control system is operable to execute stored instructions to control a speed, an acceleration, or both of the ground vehicle in following a route based on an emergency affecting the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.