Provided is a powered ambulance cot for transporting a patient above a surface, the cot comprising a support frame, four legs, each leg having a wheel for supporting the cot on the surface； an actuator of a cot actuation system which interconnects the support frame and a pair of the legs, and effects changes in position of the support frame relative to the wheel of each of the legs； and a cot control system communicatively coupled to one or more processors which are operably connected to the cot actuation system to control activation of the cot actuation system. The processors are operable to receive control signals associated with a pre-programmed cot function requesting a change in position of said support frame relative to the wheel of each of the legs, to cause the cot actuation system to move the pair of the legs relative to the support frame； wherein upon receipt of a control signal, the one or more processors can execute a cot function automatically. Also provided is a method of transporting a patient above a surface comprising utilizing a powered ambulance cot as described.
