[Enthalpy]

Hello dear all!

The University of Saarland has developed a stepless control loop that lets a trolley, a handcart... follow the movement of the operator's hands with delicacy.

I suggested already to the developers a lawnmower, because the existing ones move brutally. There are many more uses.

========== Pallet jack (picture)

To lay a pallet, the operator must adjust the lateral position of the fixed rolls, often at the front then, by adjusting the lateral position of the wheels, often at the rear - first indirection. For that, he must first orient the wheels and move - second indirection. Experienced operators achieve it often, but it costs training time and some second attempts.

An added control loop can have one motor for each wheel of the orientable pair. Then the control can both orient the wheels and move the jack. The operator only drives his end of the jack to the position he wants. One indirection less, I believe the jack needs less training time and does the task faster.

========== Floor cleaning trolley

Supermarkets use them. About 1m×1m×0.6m, movements are motorized, controls over a few buttons. Here too, the operator could have two joysticks or similar to drive the machine more easily. I'd orient wheels at the trolley's four corners to enable all movements, as can a supermarket caddie, just with motors to simulate a lightweight trolley.

========== Hospital bed

Some patients are moved in their bed, a significant effort for nurses with an already hard job. I'd add a simple passive adapter to each bed so all have the same interface. Then the nurse uses a motorized aggregate, something like a bogie, that lifts a bit one end of the bed to move the bed, as controlled by a joystick or similar.

Marc Schaefer, aka Enthalpy