Wheels Australia - June 2018

Remember the Bose Ride suspension

innovation that broke cover in 2004?

Clearmotion bought that technology and is

picking up where the consumer electronics

company left off. Thanks to a fully active

(‘proactive’) damper, the system gains a new

level of control over wheel movement to deliver

what is claimed to be an eerily smooth ride.

The company has about US$100m invested

in advancing the idea with its sights set on

commercialising the technology for production

cars. Unlike Bose, which was targeting the

luxury car market, Clearmotion sees greater

potential in the emerging autonomous

With conventional suspension systems, the

movement of the wheel is dictated by the

surface it rolls over, or changes in speed and

direction of the car. Modern adaptive dampers

can alter the extent to which suspension

resists movement but Clearmotion’s

technology can actively compress and extend

the suspension independently. Linear motors

replace conventional suspension dampers.

When voltage is applied to the motor, the

wheel moves up or down in the arch depending

on the polarity. In combination with sensors

that read the road ahead, the system can move

a wheel to roll over an obstacle with lessened

With more control over suspension movement,

the impact of bumps on the car and its

occupants can be reduced, to increase comfort,

while a reduction of bodyroll in corners and dive

under hard braking brings dynamic benefits.

Clearmotion sees greater potential with the

advent of self-driving cars, however. The theory

goes that passengers are willing to tolerate

a degree of movement when they are aware

of their surroundings, but in an autonomous

vehicle, occupants might be preoccupied by other

tasks. Reducing the amount of disturbance felt

in the cabin will make typing or reading easier,

for example, and would reduce the likelihood

ar.com.auu// ee

car arena. Thesystem has already been

miniaturisedandlightened,resolvin neof

the hurdles experienced by the technology’s

vious custodian.

impact on the car body. ofmotion sickness. The system can also be

configuredto r nerate electricity,reducin he

net powerit consumes and extending the range

of EVs that ado the technolo

CLEARMOTION

PROACTIVE

SUSPENSION

JUNE 2018

EXPLAINED

TRICKY TECH IN SIMPLE TERMS

What is it? How does it work? Why does it matter?

Sound

rinciples

idea behind Clearmotion’s proactive

pension is the same as that behind an

audio speaker. When current is applied to

a coil of wire, the magnet is repelled forcing

the speaker cone to move, creating a sound

wave. In the case of the suspension, the

cone is replaced by a bar connected to the

suspension arm. When the control system

senses a lump in the road ahead, a

signal is sent to the coil forcing the

wheel to move before it

hits the obstacle.