History of Research
Bose is best known for creating high-performance audio products, but our research activities go well beyond sound. Our technologies extend from regulating electric power in airplanes to controlling fuel rods inside nuclear reactors to building testing machines for medical devices. And for over two decades, we have been researching a new system for automobile suspensions.
 The Challenge
Conventional automobile suspensions have two conflicting goals: passenger comfort and vehicle control. Current suspensions designed with an emphasis on passenger comfort, as in typical luxury vehicles, deliver a smooth ride but allow the car to roll and pitch during cornering and braking. Suspensions emphasising vehicle control, as in sports cars, reduce roll and pitch but sacrifice comfort.
A New Approach
The research programme began in 1980 with five years of mathematical analysis to determine the optimum suspension performance, ignoring the limitations of any existing suspension hardware. This analysis indicated that a much higher level of performance could be obtained than that provided by systems using variable dampers and springs or hydraulics. The five-year theoretical study led to electromagnetics as the one approach that could realise the desired suspension characteristics.
The BOSE® Suspension
The proprietary BOSE® suspension system couples linear electromagnetic motors and power amplifiers with a set of unique control algorithms. For the first time, it is possible to have, in the same car, a much smoother ride than in any luxury vehicle and less roll and pitch than in any sports car. The BOSE® research vehicle provides superior comfort by gliding smoothly over bumpy roads and superior control by keeping the car body level during aggressive manoeuvres.
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The BOSE® Suspension System
Linear electromagnetic motors installed at each wheel are controlled by a set of proprietary algorithms.
This side-by-side comparison shows how the BOSE® suspension reduces body roll during aggressive cornering.
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The BOSE® suspension uses a modular approach to replace a vehicle's original suspension.
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