Skater-Inspired Vehicle Control Strategy Accepted to IAV 2025

This research has been accepted to the 12th IFAC Symposium on Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles (IAV 2025). It introduces a novel, bio-inspired approach to improve vehicle speed and energy efficiency using active suspension systems.

charlesriver

You’ve probably seen skateboarders in a half-pipe, generating speed not by pushing off the ground, but by skillfully shifting their weight up and down. This motion—called “pumping”—lets them accelerate without any external force. Inspired by this, we asked an interesting question: If a human on a skateboard can gain speed without an engine, can a vehicle with an active suspension system do the same?

In our recent research work, led by Zhaodong Zhou (Oakland University) in collaboration with Prof. Jun Chen and myself (ClearMotion), we provided an answer: yes, it’s possible. By actively modulating suspension movements in sync with road geometry—just like a skater’s rhythm—a car can increase its speed while descending, without any extra engine power. This idea of “vehicular pumping” could open up new possibilities in energy efficiency and advanced suspension design.

We’re excited that this work has been accepted to the 12th IFAC Symposium on Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles (IAV 2025).

Full paper: [Pre-print]

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss active suspension control, vehicle dynamics, or bio-inspired engineering strategies.