Summary of Advanced Suspension Systems Summit for Autonomous Driving.
Berlin 2016.10.17-18
Samples of Participants: Toyota, Maserati, Tenneco, Koni, Magneti Marelli, Schaeffler, Continental, Nira, Ford, Volvo Cars, Semcon
Active Safety started with chassis-based systems – the first system in a wide sense actually being the ESP. Today the ADAS/AD R&D is mainly focused on sensors and “intelligence” – the cooperation with the fundamental vehicle systems like chassis/suspension being sometimes forgotten. As opening speakers at the conference we described the status and likely future of the AD market, the requirements on the AD system and the needs/benefits with a close AD-chassis/suspension integration.
Some of our focuses; the wider split in demanded vehicle characteristics between different AD vehicles/use-cases, the need for an AD vehicle to have access to high chassis/suspension performance to handle emergency scenarios safely and the potential of further information exchange chassis and intelligence/sensor AD system ( e.g. surrounding conditions, vehicle state and available performance and vice versa sensor information enabling proactive active suspension – like in Mercedes Magic Body Control system) and the need for further self-diagnostic of the chassis in order for the AD system to detect/handle component break-downs.
Some central topics from the line of speakers at the conference were; the current development from passive to semi-active and full active suspension solutions, the benefits of forward preview as well as different solutions to variable chassis/suspension. In two panel discussions the future of AD and the development of chassis hereto were discussed.
Summarised the conference was a great venue and an important step towards increasing the awareness and closer cooperation between the chassis/suspension/tires and the “intelligence”/sensor system in the AD vehicle. At the same time the conference showed the gap between the classic mechanical chassis engineering and the current electronic/software/AI-focused AD development and the potential and need of closer cooperation hereto.
