In the 1980s, Bose designed a totally innovative suspension system for cars. The invention was striking, not only due to the fact that a manufacturer of sound equipment had left its usual field of action, but also because that suspension was capable of doing things never seen before. Based on an electromagnetic system, it managed to ‘swallow’ potholes and irregularities in the road in a really effective way.
Bose’s electromagnetic suspension used the reading of sensors to anticipate the qualities of the terrain and thus adapt the hardness of the suspension depending on what had to be faced at all times. The result was a body that remained unchanged at all times, which translated into a high degree of comfort for the occupants.
Braking, acceleration, ditches in the asphalt… None of this altered the behavior of the car, which seemed to be oblivious to all kinds of inertia that could be applied to it. But if it was curious to see the suspension work in curves or speed bumps, it was much more interesting to see it jump. In the literal sense. As if it were a horse in an exhibition, an imposing first-generation Lexus LS (launched on the market in 1989) overcomes a barrier on the ground by jumping it with all four wheels in the air, in a movement that is almost more animal than mechanical. .
Anyway, that amazing invention never made it to mass production because it added quite a bit of extra weight and because it was expensive. These were the two fundamental obstacles that left the project of that audio equipment manufacturer who wanted to leave his comfort zone to impress the world with that curious system in a drawer.
But as sometimes happens, life has given this magical suspension a second chance, this time at the hands of the ClearMotion company, which has bought the Bose patent and seems to have been carrying out tests of all kinds on different types of cars.
Youtube Video
ActiValve is the name that they have given to the suspension that they intend to market, presumably, from 2019. According to the firm, the system consists of a team of sensors that detect the conditions of the road and, through a controller, put individual motors located in each shock absorber are operated to act accordingly and absorb irregularities in the most efficient way possible.
The ActiValve suspension is intended for autonomous and conventional cars, and could be a game changer if it becomes widely available on the market. What we do not know is what plans the new company that owns the project will have to solve those obstacles that have to do with costs and the total weight of the whole. We will remain vigilant.