Bose's electromagnetic car suspension

Feb 8, 2016 8:21 PM

kurcias

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48256

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1665

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Back in 2004 Bose revealed that it had been secretly working on an active suspension system since 1980. By using powerful electromagnetic struts, the Bose system could instantly extend or retract any one wheel, with all four corners working in concert to keep the car's body level

Bose demonstrated the system on a Lexus LS400 outside its headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, speeding the car over all manner of obstacles while the body remained completely serene

Bose suspension system that was too expensive and never got into production.

So far the system is only in big-rig truck seats, where the Bose Ride mounting system actively nulls shock and vibration before it reaches the driver. But cars are still the main prize, so asked whether the system could be ready in five years if a car manufacturer committed today, a company spokesman replied, "Yes. Of course, we'd have to work with a car manufacturer on development and customization, but it's technically feasible. And when the right car customer is ready, we'll be ready."

As a finale, the Lexus gracefully leaped over a piece of lumber in its path. It seemed like the dawn of a new era.

Sauce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KPYIaks1UY

The last one made me flashback to watching Speed Racer as a kid.

10 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

I like how they tested it against a car with such a soft suspension. Does anyone actually buy a car like that?

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 2

Some people don't want to know what's going on outside their car. We live in a sad, messed up world.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

isitbad that I thought of the car (like the ones in the movie cars) and felt sad that this one did not have a stereotypical love attraction?

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Lot of bad info here.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I had an ls400

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Meanwhile, in the Williams garage

10 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Did he just bunny hop the car? That's some next level shit.

10 years ago | Likes 23 Dislikes 1

No way that car just popped an ollie

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Bose tried to sell it to a couple of major car companies, they all deemed it too expensive.

10 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Not just expensive. Too heavy as well.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What the actual fuck.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

that car just jumped

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I can finally get over those pesky spike strips people leave on the ground when im in a hurry

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Just guessing, but it probably costs a shitload while not providing a significant benefit.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Thanks (seriously) for the detailed repost. Saw this 1-2 days ago but not in this detail. This adds value. Thanks.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

I'm sure that it's not as cheap as a finely tuned spring and damper system

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Huh, using electromagnets that powerful would probably drain a significant portion of energy to power it. Still, neat.

10 years ago | Likes 93 Dislikes 6

Most roads are not as rough as the test track. If they are, the power usage is likely worth it.

5 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I read about this Bose suspension in a magazine a few years ago. It said it would require the same amount of power as the air conditioner.

10 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

I believe they use a ferrofluid that polarizes one way or another to become either stiffer or softer. So the electromagnets aren't 1/2

10 years ago | Likes 37 Dislikes 0

That's an entirely different system.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Nah thats what they use in "common" electrically adjustable shock absorbers, the bose one works with linear motors, thats why he can jump.

10 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

completely holding up the car directly. I could absolutely be wrong though... 2/2

10 years ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 0

Stiffer? Ferofluid doesn't become 'stiffer', it just takes shape. But there are fluids that become more viscous/thinner.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 6

Nope. Avg power draw is less than running the AC. Source: I build these for military vehicles.

10 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Aye, after reading up on them, it's more than just electromagnets carrying the load. That's what would need a lot of energy.

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Conventional springs support the static weight, the EM suspension just pushes and pulls the wheels around against the sprung mass.

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Aren't magnetorheological shocks the same basic idea?

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Note: Bose was doing this ~2004

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

And Williams in 1993:

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Im just gonna say that for me 1993 was like 10 years ago.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Are you that man from that relativity problem I had in college?

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Honestly, I'd rather have the tactile input of conventional suspension to tell me when my tires are hitting some bad shit on the road.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I drove a 1997 BMW 750 V12 at 90kph over speedbumps - you feel absolutely nothing. Scares the shit outta people.

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

The car's suspension is designed to do that by the way. Try not to do it a *lot* on purpose, isn't the best but it does handle it as designd

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The school buses realllllyyy need something like this. There are so many students who are in wheel chairs or who may have body problems 1/?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

That may get worse due to suspension issue. 2/2

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm imagining a Halo Warthog with this. Jumps for days.

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Meanwhile in the suspension underground: http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/hydraulics.gif

10 years ago | Likes 93 Dislikes 0

Looks like someone lost one of their wheel covers.

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Doesn't this clip cut off like 2 seconds before one of the guys takes a hubcap to the face?

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I don't know because I just copied the GIF address.

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Sittin' sidewayz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPLcQhXpCc

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

LMAO. Feat. Big Pokey from the S.U.C.

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Thought that link said "rapegenius", was hesitant for risky click.

10 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

Fortunately you can just hover.

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Mobile does not have these fancy "hovers"

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Oh yeah. I never have used mobile.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

Turboboost KITT!

10 years ago | Likes 28 Dislikes 1

BANANANANANANANAANNANA (leaping sound)

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

This is really cool. I gotta wonder how it might affect steering feel, though.

10 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Not only that the weight of the car isnt shifting to the appropriate wheels

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yea, I would think there would be a point in which no feedback is severely detrimental to staying on the road.

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

Don't know why you are getting downvoted. I hate power-assisted steering just as it is. No clue what is going on except from noise

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

"where we're going we don't need roads" seems oddly appropriate

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Or braking. Lumber in the road followed by big pileup? How are you going to brake or steer if your car is in the air?

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It's called a steering "wheel". I learned that playing Blideo Bames

10 years ago | Likes 20 Dislikes 1

I can't tell if that's supposed to be a joke. If it is, it's a really bad one, and I applaud you for it, sir.

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Get out

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No stay and make more puns

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

As someone who has an ICD... No thanks

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Mercedes-Benz has a somewhat similar system currently in production https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ScpgI1w5F6A

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

They had a system that tuned out all vibration and sway Active Body Control, but without the road and chassis feedback prototypes (1/2)

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Crashing as drivers thought they could push the sports cars farther than possible, flying off curves and such. Vibration (feedback) (2/3)

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Was discovered to be an integral part of the safety throughout the entire vehicle.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You guys do realize GM puts magnetic ride in their top vehicles and it works exactly like this? This is old ass news

10 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 4

I was going to say, every Cadillac since like 07 has had this optional if not standard

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

Have MSRC in my '14 Stingray - love it! :)

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah I have a '15 Tahoe with magnetic ride control, but it doesn't work like that. At all. It's nice, but not like this Bose system

10 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Similar concepts, but the GM system only works to actively soften/stiffen the ride which while incredibly nice, can't hold a candle to this.

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Volvo tested a system much like this over a decade ago, nothing happened.

10 years ago | Likes 324 Dislikes 5

This system seems very expensive. Volvo is not an expensive car.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 8

Volvos are at least quite expensive here in canada

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I mean this was in 2004... which was over a decade ago as well...

10 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

Volvo has tested alot... And hurt some during the process, haha.. But jeep... Those fuckers screwed up big time with the moose test.

10 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

What's the moose test?

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

http://youtu.be/zaYFLb8WMGM

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Thanks. I initially thought it involved having a moose ram a car at full speed or something. This makes a lot more sense.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

They probably forgot to connect the battery to the system, as per usual.

10 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

Williams won 10 of 16 races, finishing no worse than second place, in the 1993 F1 season with similar tech:

10 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Ooooooh that's a beaut

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Their system was semi-active, the Bose is fully active.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

These cars all seem to be at least 10 years old.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

A guy on my race team has an older Volvo wagon.This is the only thing he ever defends it with when we all drive our project cars to the shop

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

There are some crazy loyal, Volvo people.

10 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah well they weren't Lexus!!eleven!! No seriously, I have no idea.

10 years ago | Likes 47 Dislikes 2

Did you just write eleven out as if you accidentally added 1's into your exclamation points?

10 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 2

Yes! Yes I did !!!twelve!1

10 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 1

Lmao I like your style

10 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0