Cars Adjust Height of Bodies to Absorb Shocks from Roads
Hyundai Mobis announced on April 29 that it has recently developed a “preview air suspension technology” which controls vehicles in advance based on navigation map information. This technology enables cars to adjust the height of their bodies and absorb shocks from roads based on road information from their navigation systems.
Hyundai Mobis has been mass-producing since 2012 an electronically controlled air suspension that maintains the height of a car at its optimal level regardless of the number of passengers or loaded objects by checking its state and moves. This time, the company has upgraded its electronically controlled air suspension technology to a level where cars control their bodies by checking and predicting road situations ahead of them based on navigation map information.
The technology starts operating 500 meters away from a target point on average through road information from the navigation system. For example, if the navigation system of a car tells it that there is a school zone ahead, the car gradually lowers its body and smoothly adjusts the suspension mode.
Hyundai Mobis already finished practically evaluating the technology by using real cars on real roads in various driving environments such as school zones, speed bumpers, railway crossings, highway interchanges and destinations.
"We are planning to develop an air suspension that will mix well with camera sensors currently under development next year," said Kim Se-il, director of the Hyundai Mobis Chassis and Design Research Center.