Adaptive Ride-Height Control for Low-Clearance Terrain Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Performance vehicles with low ground clearances often suffer damage from uneven terrain, potholes, and speed bumps, as existing technologies fail to effectively adapt vehicle height in real-time to changing road conditions, leading to costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system equipped with a processor that determines surface deviations ahead and adjusts the adaptive ride-height system to change ground clearance, using data from sensors and crowd-sourced information to anticipate and mitigate impacts, and automatically control speed or route around obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the vehicle maintains low ground clearance for performance driving, then handling and speed are improved, but the vehicle becomes vulnerable to damage from uneven terrain and potholes
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle employs an active ride height control system that dynamically adjusts ground clearance in real-time based on detected terrain conditions. The system transitions from a static low clearance configuration optimized for performance to a dynamic system that can elevate the vehicle body when potholes or obstacles are detected, thereby resolving the contradiction between performance handling and damage protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors and processors to detect surface deviations and predict potential obstacles before the vehicle reaches them. By anticipating potholes or uneven terrain ahead, the control system proactively adjusts the ride height to prevent damage, rather than reacting after contact occurs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If drivers reduce speed to avoid damage on bad roads, then collision risk is reduced, but travel time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system detects and communicates terrain conditions to the driver in advance, allowing them to maintain higher speeds while being prepared to react to upcoming obstacles. The processor analyzes road surface data and provides early warning, eliminating the need for continuous speed reduction and thereby reducing travel time while still preventing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback to the driver about upcoming terrain conditions through alerts and notifications. This feedback loop enables the driver to make informed decisions about speed and routing, maintaining optimal travel time while avoiding damage by responding appropriately to warned conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle uses standard ground clearance, then versatility on different terrains is improved, but performance vehicle handling and speed are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle maintains a low ground clearance configuration for optimal performance handling during normal driving conditions. When uneven terrain or potholes are detected through the sensor system, the active ride height control dynamically elevates the vehicle body to provide the clearance needed for safe passage, thus achieving both performance handling and terrain adaptability through dynamic adjustment rather than compromise.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle determines a surface deviance on a road ahead of the vehicle and towards which the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle determines an adjustment to an adaptive ride-height system of the vehicle to change a vehicle ground-clearance, the adjustment determined based at least on a dimension associated with the deviance and, prior to reaching the deviance, adjusts the adaptive ride-height system in accordance with the determined adjustment.