Systems incorporating a wheelchair with an exoskeleton assembly and methods of controlling the same

A wheelchair system, comprising:

• a wheelchair comprising:
• a frame, and
• a control unit,
• an exoskeleton communicatively coupled to the control unit via a cable extending between the exoskeleton and the control unit, the exoskeleton being releasably coupled to at least a portion of the frame of the wheelchair, the exoskeleton comprising:
• an upper body device positioned on an upper body of a user;
• an upper leg device positioned on an upper leg of the user;
• and
• at least one actuator positioned between the upper body device and the upper leg device, the at least one actuator acts as a joint to assist in moving the upper leg device with respect to the upper body device such that the user may stand away from the wheelchair,
• wherein the wheelchair system is translatable between a wheelchair mode and an exoskeleton mode such that, when in the exoskeleton mode, the control unit provides electrical power and control signals to the exoskeleton such that the exoskeleton assists the user in standing away from the wheelchair.

A method of controlling a wheelchair system between a wheelchair mode and an exoskeleton mode, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a control unit, an input from a user, the input corresponding to a particular function;
• causing, by a processing device, a wheelchair to move into the exoskeleton mode;
• detaching, by the user, a pair of armrests from a frame of the wheelchair;
• and
• causing, by the processing device, at least one actuator of an exoskeleton to move to assist the user in standing away from the wheelchair,
• wherein the exoskeleton is tethered to the wheelchair via a cable such that the wheelchair supplies electrical power and control signals to the at least one actuator of the exoskeleton.