Digital Damping For an SDV Future – Yuan Zamparini, Chief Engineer of Global Suspension Electronics & Software Engineering at BWI Group

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is moving the industry away from traditional hardware-led designs toward a future where software shapes, controls and enhances vehicle functionality, safety and user experience. This shift to more connected systems opens up new opportunities for digitised suspension technologies, such as MagneRide^®.

BWI Group’s MagneRide^® magnetorheological suspension system has gained favour among supercar and luxury car brands for the exceptional performance characteristics, including the iconic 1000 Hz adjust frequency and 1 millisecond response time.

As a leading active control system, MagneRide^® is evolving toward software-driven capabilities and participating in intelligent decision-making for vehicle dynamics through deep integration with the vehicle's sensor systems and domain controllers.

We sat down with Yuan Zamparini, Global Chief Engineer for Controls, Electronics & Software for Controlled Suspensions at BWI Group, to explore this further.

Q: What new functionalities does SDV architectures unlock for MagneRide^®?

YZ: We have also developed a new preview function. By integrating with the vehicle’s perception system, which is now possible thanks to SDV architectures, we can use cameras and radar to evaluate road surfaces ahead and prime the dampers accordingly.

We have also developed a real-time arbitration system that weighs this ‘preview’ information against the ‘instantaneous’ inputs to determine the optimal response. This ultimately increases the performance of the suspension and gives OEMs more flexibility.

Q: How is MagneRide^® digitally controlled?

YZ: MagneRide is fully and continuously digitally controlled in a wide range of damping forces with millisecond response times. MagneRide^® can be completely recalibrated through the ECU, to make the vehicle more comfortable, or sportier, or balance between them.

Q: How does this digital control advantage translate to SDV applications?

YZ: The system is completely tuneable in software. It enables manufacturers to fully customise settings for regional markets. We have the capability for over-the-air (OTA) updates, so manufacturers can adjust suspension tuning post-production if required, cost-effectively.

Q: Are there any SDV partnerships with OEMs?

YZ: We’re currently involved in a co-development program with a major US OEM for their first SDV platform. We have supplied the entire digital suspension ecosystem; including the dampers, algorithm in the central controller, smart actuator controller with Ethernet capability, and associated sensors.