Monday 18th December 2017

PH Origins: Road-scanning suspension

Magic Body Control the first suspension system to scan the road ahead? Sorry, Mercedes, you were beaten to the punch.

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On 15 May 2013, the sixth-generation 'W222' Mercedes-Benz S-Class was unveiled in Hamburg. Befittingly, for a new flagship, it was equipped with a battery of advanced technology - including a semi-autonomous cruise system, airbags integrated into the seat belts and all-LED illumination.

Also highly touted was the 'Road Surface Scan' feature, part of the optional 'Magic Body Control' system, which let the S-Class detect and prime itself for upcoming bumps and surface imperfections.

The system's windscreen-mounted camera would look 15 metres ahead, then relay relevant data to the Magic Body Control - an active hydraulic suspension system. This would then adjust the load and damping at each wheel on the fly, reputedly adapting to the oncoming terrain in a fraction of a second and delivering a 'flying carpet'-style ride.

There were limitations to its capabilities, of course. Visibility needed to be good for it to work properly, and certain road surfaces and conditions could prevent it from functioning as expected.

Regardless, the press release described the S-Class fitted with this system as 'the world's first car to be able to detect bumps on the road ahead'. Unfortunately, for Mercedes, this wasn't the case - and it had missed the chance to claim that headline by some 28 years.

In 1981, Nissan had introduced electronically adjustable shock absorbers that offered three modes, allowing drivers to tailor the way their car handled and rode. With a new Bluebird - and flagship equipment-laden Maxima model - around the corner, however, the company was looking for ways to further improve its existing technology.

Automation was deemed appropriate for flagship derivatives, leading to the work on an electronically adjustable suspension system that would automatically optimise the car's dampers for the conditions.

The result was a new sonar-based hardware package, patented in February 1984, called the 'Supersonic Suspension System'. It used an ultrasonic sonar, mounted in the nose of the car, to 'look' at the road in front of the car. Analysis of the data from the sensor allowed a processing unit to identify the upcoming terrain - for example, if it was smooth or undulating - and adjust the stiffness of the front and rear dampers to the most appropriate setting.

It didn't overlook what the driver was doing at the time, either; the central processing unit also made use of other inputs - including information from the brakes, engine and steering - in order to constantly tailor the suspension to its optimal mode. The range of adjustments was relatively limited, mind, with the control unit simply switching between soft, medium and firm configurations.

Nissan ultimately launched its seventh-generation Bluebird, codenamed U11, in October 1983. The Maxima version was later unveiled in October 1984 and, in range-topping Legrand specification, it was equipped with the Supersonic Suspension System.

The Supersonic option was soon made available in myriad models, including the 1986 Leopard and 1988 Cefiro - which also received speed-sensitive four-wheel steering, along with the sonar-based suspension hardware, in an equipment combination dubbed 'Duet-SS' by Nissan.

In any instance, according to reviews of the system when it was new, it had the desired effect - with it reputedly improving both handling and comfort, particularly on uneven roads. Nissan had even accounted for it potentially packing up, with all the shocks simply defaulting to a medium stiffness if an error occurred.

So, while clearly not as advanced as the Mercedes system - with a shorter range, lower accuracy, fewer suspension adjustments and less processing power - it's fair to say that Nissan's sonar-based suspension system was truly the first to take into account 'the road ahead'.

Lewis Kingston

[donkmeister]

After Nissan, but before Mercedes, I'm certain Citroen released a system on tbe C5 that scanned the road ahead for bumps and holes, adjusting the suspension on each wheel to cope.
I can't seem to find anything about it though.