Adjustable Vehicle Suspension for Uneven Terrain and Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional vehicle suspension systems are inefficient in adapting to different activities and environmental conditions, as they often damage the vehicle when height adjustment exceeds typical operating ranges, and struggle with uneven terrain or obstructions, leading to potential damage from striking objects.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable suspension system that dynamically manages individual suspension settings based on user input and sensor data, allowing for various modes such as dump, ramp, and level modes, using controllable components like bellows or struts to adjust vehicle height, and incorporating validation processes to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle height is adjusted beyond typical operating ranges, then the adaptability to different activities and environments is improved, but the risk of vehicle damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system allows dynamic adjustment of vehicle height and individual wheel positions based on operational mode (e.g., dump mode, ramp mode, level mode). The bellows or struts can be extended or retracted to change vehicle height, enabling the vehicle to adapt to different activities while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement within safe ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the suspension components (extension/retraction of bellows or struts) to adjust vehicle height. By controlling the extent of extension within predefined limits, the system achieves adaptability while preventing damage from excessive height adjustment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle suspension is adjusted for uneven terrain, then the adaptability to different ground conditions is improved, but the risk of striking obstructions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system controls each wheel or axle independently through individual bellows or struts. This segmentation allows the vehicle to adjust to uneven terrain by raising or lowering specific wheels to avoid obstructions, while the validation process prevents excessive adjustment that could cause the vehicle to strike objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The validation process monitors suspension adjustments and prevents operations that would cause the vehicle to exceed safe height ranges or strike obstructions. This feedback mechanism ensures that terrain adaptation does not lead to harmful contacts with external objects.
3Manufacturing precision
If individual suspension components are adjusted independently, then the precision of vehicle positioning is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each bellows or strut serves multiple functions: it provides suspension support, enables height adjustment, and allows individual wheel positioning. This multi-functionality achieves precise vehicle positioning without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same components perform multiple roles.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for dynamically managing individual suspension settings for a vehicle based on a determined suspension mode is provided. Based on the user input and obtained sensor input, the system can then determine a suspension mode for a plurality of individually controllable components by specifying values or commands for each controllable component. A first mode may correspond to a lowering of the plurality of controllable. A second mode may correspond to lowering two controllable components corresponding to the rear wheels of the vehicle and raising two controllable components corresponding to front wheels of the vehicle. A third mode may correspond to a lowering of the plurality of controllable components to effectively drop the height of the vehicle to a threshold point. The system may further implement various validation processes that can validate the determined suspension mode and make further adjustment to individual controllable portions based on load or ground measurements.