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Gadget Freak Case #127: Gadget Keeps Suspension Even
Design News Staff -- Design News, October 5, 2008
Gadget Freak James Kinney was looking for a way to take the pressure off the back end of a tow truck when it’s carrying a heavy load. If you can equalize the pressure of the truck bed so all the weight is not on the back end, there will be less stress to the truck’s suspension system. Kinney developed the air suspension system, called the Mechatronic Microcontroller, in his mechatronics’ class at Colorado State University. The gadget uses a resistive touchscreen from an electronic Sudoku game to select the ride height of the tow truck’s bed to make it level, thus spreading the stress of the towing weight evenly across the truck’s suspension.
| Amt | Part Description | Allied Part # |
| 3 | PIC16f88 | 383-0496 |
| 9 | NPN Transistor TO-92 | 568-0292 |
| 4 | NPN Transistor TO-3 | 935-8099 |
| 4 | NPN Transistor TO-220 | 935-7007 |
| 10 | 1K Ω Resistor | 648-0149 |
| 3 | 5k Potentiometer | 522-0044 |
| 9 | 10M Ω Resistor | 296-6163 |
| 5 | 330ΩResistor | 296-4698 |
| 2 | 5V Regulator | 288-0479 |
| 10 | 0.01 uF Capacitor | 507-0721 |
| 1 | 7-Segment Display | 670-0033 |
| 1 | 20 x 4 Character LCD | 355-0019 |
| 2 | Speaker | 623-2146 |
| 1 | Operational Amplifier | 288-0544 |
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See www.ridetech.com for one example [I am not affiliated with that company in any way]'>Aside from the facts [see Don's comments], I was a bit bewildered by this project. My interpretation of most Gadget Freak projects is that they fall into 1 of 2 categories. They either [1] perform some unusual function or [2] they perform a common function in an unusual manner [sometimes in the spirit of Rube Goldberg]. This 'keep suspension even' project did not do either - it simply provided a very poor replication of something commonly performed in the same or similar manner for years.
See www.ridetech.com for one example [I am not affiliated with that company in any way]
Michael Dunn - 2008-20-10 11:16:45 EDT -
Just levelilng out the bed does not spread out the load or stresses. More air pressure is used to raise the back of the tow truck where the load is and less at the front where there is less load. This does not change the loading only level of the truck bed. To change the actual load on each axel a moment connection must be made between the load and the truck. This will change how the load is applied to the truck and consequently the distribution of the forces on the truck axels.
Donald Landis Sr. - 2008-7-10 03:57:04 EDT
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