Abstract

Operators of off-road vehicles are exposed to high levels of high-amplitude, low-frequency whole-body vibration to which the body is particularly sensitive. Previous work identified seats capable to attenuating vertical, but not lateral, vibration.

This project will design a biaxial (vertical and lateral) suspension system with improved vibration attenuation characteristics.

A prototype will be designed, produced, and submitted to laboratory and field testing. This will followed by analysis of the system's advantages and production costs, production of a second prototype, and, eventually, large-scale production.

Optimal control processes for semi-active systems were identified using mathematical modelling, and a prototype system is currently under development. A semi-active shock absorber equipped with a microprocessor-based controller has also been produced, and will be installed on the seat suspension to replace the passive one. Laboratory trials will be designed to determine the principal characteristics of this type of shock absorption system. The same approach will be applied to the original data to develop a lateral suspension system.