Research and Focus Areas

The research thrusts can be divided into five categories:

• Advanced 8-post and Quarter-Vehicle Testing
• Experimentally Validated Dynamic System Models
• Innovative Active and Adaptive Control Systems
• Noise and Vibration
• Biodynamics

Advanced 8-post and Quarter-Vehicle Testing

• Bringing a scientific approach to suspension tuning
• Adaptive methods for Drive File identification
• Incorporating a "driver-in-the-loop" during 8-post suspension tuning
• Electro-mechanical simulation of tire dynamics

Experimentally Validated Dynamic System Models

• Magneto-Rheological fluid damper models
• Multibody dynamic system models
• Vehicle dynamic models
• Tire models

Innovative Active and Adaptive Control Systems

• Actively controlled suspension tuning
• Control and identification of dynamic systems with uncertainties
• Improved semi-active control algorithms for suspensions
• Application of MR dampers in primary and secondary suspensions
• Cost-effective real-time estimation of preview road inputs for suspension control

Noise and Vibrations

• Noise source localization
• Speech enhancement in noisy environments for improving communication
• Active control of noise and vibration
• Prognostics and Health Monitoring using ultrasonic signature analysis

BioDynamics

• Characterization of human drivers as MIMO dynamic systems
• Improving comfort, reducing fatigue, and enhancing cognitive performance
• Estimation of qualitative human fatigue metrics such as alertness and comfort