Vibration Control of a New Bed Stage System for Ambulance Using MR Dampers

This paper proposes a new bed stage for patients in ambulance vehicle in order to improve ride quality in term of vibration control. The vibration of patient compartment in ambulance can cause a secondary damage to a patient and a difficulty for a doctor to perform emergency care. The bed stage is to solve vertical, rolling, and pitching vibration in patient compartment of ambulance. Four MR (magneto-rheological) dampers are equipped for vibration isolation of the stage. Firstly, a mathematical model of stage is derived followed by the measurement of vibration level of patient compartment of real ambulance vehicle. Then, the design parameters of bed stage is undertaken via computer simulation. Skyhook, PID and LQR controllers are used for vibration control and their control performances are compared.