Complex Obstacle Traversing Suspension System for Wheeled Ground Vehicles

Future military wheeled vehicles will inevitably require equal or superior mobility and a greater ability to traverse complex obstacles in comparison with current tracked and wheeled vehicles. Ideally, no complex obstacle found in either a rural or urbansettings should impede a vehicle's ability to maintain it's operational tempo.This proposal demonstrates the feasibility of a complex user controlled multi-link suspension system for use on future four-wheeled vehicles. The proposed system will be verified by analytically testing its ability to traverse a specified set of complexobstacles. These obstacles are much greater in size and complexity than what current wheeled vehicles with a traditional suspension design are able to traverse.This proposal responds specifically to the United States Army's request for a complex suspension design that will be tested on the Mongrel test vehicle. This design will work in conjunction with the vehicle's electric motor-driven wheels, and will be anindependent suspension design that can be used at each wheel, regardless of location. The vehicle will be able to traverse the proposed obstacles as well as be capable of traveling on typical roads and through parking lots at typical speeds. The resulting Phase I design can be used as a tool to initiate conversation between potential partners/buyers/manufactures of the proposed design. TIAX is predominantly a fee-for-service technology development and management firm and does not have theinternal resources to undertake the production and management of a suspension product line at this time. However, TIAX has a long history of working with industrial clients and partners in the development and production of new products and would bepleased to seek such a partner for the final development and production of the new suspension system.The main objective in any post Phase I discussions with outside sources would be to assess interest in investing in or supporting the manufacturing efforts of the Phase II effort. Upon completion of Phase II, a more complex market study can be done todetermine end use and target markets for the resulting technology. Uses might include search and rescue vehicles, logging vehicles, mining vehicles, construction vehicles, and forest fire-fighting vehicles. These markets might include major automobilemanufacturers, OEM's, aftermarket suppliers, off-road vehicle specialty shops, military specific vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket military specific vehicle shops, and agricultural equipment manufacturers. Application of this technology to commercial usewill help strengthen it's application to the military.Depending on the target markets, and the position of TIAX relative to each of them, an investigation can be completed into the potential licensing of the design to any interested parties. For this to happen, TIAX will have to investigate patenting theresulting phase II design, putting them in a position to licensee the rights of the design to any interested parties. TIAX's employees have a long history of commercializing new technologies while part of Arthur D. Little's Technology and InnovationBusiness. Commercialization has taken place in the form of licensing technologies, marketing products directly to customers, and creating spin-off companies.