A new vibration isolation bed stage with magnetorheological dampers for ambulance vehicles

The vibration experienced in an ambulance can lead to secondary injury to a patient and discourage a paramedic from providing emergency care. In this study, with the goal of resolving this problem, a new vibration isolation bed stage associated with magnetorheological (MR) dampers is proposed to ensure ride quality as well as better care for the patient while he/she is being transported. The bed stage proposed in this work can isolate vibrations in the vertical, rolling and pitching directions to reflect the reality that occurs in the ambulance. Firstly, an appropriate-sized MR damper is designed based on the field-dependent rheological properties of MR fluid, and the damping force characteristics of a MR damper are evaluated as a function of the current. A mechanical model of the proposed vibration isolation bed stage is then established to derive the governing equations of motion. Subsequently, a sliding mode controller is formulated to control the vibrations caused from the imposed excitation signals; those signals are directly measured using a real ambulance subjected to bump-and-curve road conditions. Using the controller based on the dynamic motion of the bed stage, the vibration control performance is evaluated in both the vertical and pitch directions. It is demonstrated that the magnitude of the vibration in the patient compartment of the ambulance can be significantly reduced by applying an input current to the MR dampers installed for the new bed stage.