Current Research Topics for Automotive Smart Structures

3 Current Research Topics for Automotive Smart Structures 

As mentioned in the preamble AVC and ASAC applications prevail in current R D projects. To commercialize such adaptronic systems which today can still be characterized as laboratory type solutions, current R D efforts are made to optimize cost, overall system size and complexity, system integration including power electronics and embedded controllers, component and system reliability as well as compatibility. For automotive applications it has to be considered that typical technical and economic restrictions given by car manufacturers are especially challenging. 

For the development of active systems, it is vital to carefully analyze the mechanical host structure with respect to the operative boundary conditions to determine requirements and constraints for the active system such as its operative frequency range, deformations, strokes, loads, etc. This analysis is typically a process in which numerical and experimental investigations do complement each other. This means, that experimental data can be used to 

As a final remark it should be mentioned that an adequate development methodology for adaptronic systems must comply with these different engineering needs while offering enough flexibility with respect to analysis focus 

For this, it is first necessary to identify products that can be used as laboratory substitutes, mass-produced components for consumer goods. Subsequently these products must be analysed concerning the specific demands from the considered applications, for a low cost sensor this would be its bandwidth, linearity thermal characteristics and signal-to-noise ratio. Examples 

---