ACTIVELY CONTROLLED AIR-SUSPENDED DRIVER’S SEAT – FROM LABORATORY TO TATRA PROVING GROUND

Abstract

For the human health protection against vibrations in cases off-road drive and drive on rough roads is known, that the only passive vibration isolation of car suspension and driver’s seat is not sufficient. Significant decreasing of vibrations acting on driver was achieved with design and realization of feedback control of driver’s seat. Transmissibility characteristics of passively suspended seats are discussed. Transmissibility of the developed actively suspended seat, demanded at the start of the development, is shown. Control hardware and software of the seat are briefly described. Laboratory testing procedures with 2-DOF dummy and their results on passively and developed actively suspended seats are shown. On-road measurements of suspended seats with driver on a truck were carried out. Results showed active involvement of the person, sitting on any suspended seat, on the control of his motion.