  Patient transfer devices allow to move patients passively in hospitals and
care centers. Instead of hoisting the patient, it would be beneficial in some
cases to assist their movement, enabling them to move by themselves. However,
patient assistance requires devices capable of precisely controlling output
forces at significantly higher speeds than those used for patient transfers
alone, and a single motor solution would be over-sized and show poor efficiency
to do both functions. This paper presents a dual-motor actuator and control
schemes adapted for a patient mobility equipment that can be used to transfer
patients, assist patient in their movement, and help prevent falls. The
prototype is shown to be able to lift patients weighing up to 318 kg, to assist
a patient with a desired force of up to 100 kg with a precision of 7.8%. Also,
a smart control scheme to manage falls is shown to be able to stop a patient
who is falling by applying a desired deceleration.
