The cutting edgeWeight-sensitive aircraft seats
New plane or helicopter seats will rely on active suspension to sense the forces on the seat and change its levels of cushioning; the seat uses a magnetorheological fluid damper
A seat’s suspension can cut the risk of injury when a plane or helicopter crashes. The suspension systems currently in use, however, rely on “dumb” springs or other mechanical dampeners to cushion a person from impact. A team funded by the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center in Maryland say that “smart” suspension which is able to take a person’s weight into account and detect external jolts can be safer. The team’s active suspension can sense the forces on the seat and change its levels of cushioning, using a magnetorheological fluid damper. In other words, a magnetic fluid inside the damper can be made more or less viscous using a magnetic field. The system can also tap into an aircraft’s flight-control system to predict whether a crash is imminent, and has its own power source so it can work even if the aircraft’s main power fails. The team says the seat could save lives, as well as making flying more comfortable for the occupants.
Read the full weight-sensitive seat suspension patent application.
