Magic Body Control Suspension

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
Seminar report submitted in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements for
the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Technology
in
Mechanical Engineering
by
Sooraj K (SYAMEME 064)
Under the guidance of
Mr. Jithu J
Sreepathy Institute of Management & Technology
Vavanoor , Palakkad-679533
Afﬁliated to Calicut University
2016

Sreepathy Institute of Management & Technology
Vavanoor , Palakkad-679533
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar report entitled “ MAGIC BODY CONTROL ” is a bonaﬁde
record of the seminar presented by Sooraj K (SYAMEME 064), under our supervision and
guidance. The seminar report has been submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Sreepathy Institute of Management & Technology, Vavanoor,Palakkad in partial fulﬁllment of
the award of the Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, during the
year 2016.
Mr. Praveen Kumar K Mr. Jithu J
Head of Department Seminar Guide
Seminar Coordinator Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Engineering
SIMAT, Vavanoor SIMAT, Vavanoor
Palakkad Palakkad.
The Seminar presentation of ....................................................... is held at Department of
Mechanical Engineering of Sreepathy Institute of Management & Technology, Vavanoor,
Palakkad-679533 on .......................

ABSTRACT
The latest revolution in suspension technology, Mercedes has recently introduced is
called the Magic Body Control. Essentially a marriage of two front facing cameras mounted on
the windscreen and the hydraulic suspension control, the camera reads the road surface up to
15 meters ahead, providing the suspension information on any bumps and undulations that
the vehicle might encounter ahead. Using this information, oil is pumped to each individual
wheel as per the situation and the suspension of that wheels prepares to tackle the irregularity
on the road. So effectively, the image transmitted by the cameras allows the system to preempt
what the road is going to be like, and prepare the suspension accordingly, delivering a magic
carpet like ride.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I consider myself privileged to express gratitude and respect towards all those who guided me
through the completion of this seminar presentation.
In the beginning, I would like to thank Dr. S P Subramanian, Principal, Sreepathy Institute of
Management & Technology for providing me congenial environment to work in.
I am grateful to Mr. Praveen Kumar K, Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering, for
giving me the guidance, support and encouragement that was necessary for the completion
of this seminar topic.
I convey thanks to my seminar guide Mr. Jithu J, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical
Engineering for providing encouragement, constant support and guidance which was of great
help to complete this report successfully.
Finally, I would also like to thank my parents, classmates, teachers and all other people who
helped me in successfully completing my seminar.

Contents
List of Figures iii
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 OBJECTIVES OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 CLASSIFICATION OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM 3
2.1 ACCORDING TO TRANSFER OF ROAD SHOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1.1 DEPENDENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1.2 INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 ACCORDING TO THE USAGE OF EXTERNAL POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.1 PASSIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2.2 SEMI ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.3 ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 DRAWBACKS OF CONVENTIONAL SUSPENSION SYSTEM 8
4 MAGIC BODY CONTROL 9
4.1 FEATURES OF MAGIC BODY CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.2 COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.2.1 ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2.2 STEREO CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2.3 SENSORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2.4 RESERVOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.2.5 HYDRAULIC SERVO MECHANISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.2.6 SHOCK ABSORBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.3 MAGIC BODY CONTROL WORKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5 DRIVER INFLUENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS 16
5.1 DRIVER INFLUENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.1.1 COMFORT MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.1.2 SPORT MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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MAGIC BODY CONTROL
5.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGIC BODY CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.3 EQUIPPED VEHICLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6 MERITS AND DEMERITS 18
6.1 MERITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2 DEMERITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
7 CONCLUSION 20
Bibliography 21
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. ii SIMAT , Vavanoor

List of Figures
1.1 Suspension system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.1 Passive suspension system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Semi active suspension system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Magneto rheological damper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.4 Active suspension system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.1 Components of magic body control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.2 Operation of strut assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
iii

Acronyms & Abbreviations
ECU = Electronic Control Unit
MBC = Magic Body Control
ABC = Active Body Control

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
The automobile chassis is mounted on the axles, not direct but through some form of
springs. This is done to isolate the vehicle body from the road shocks which may be in the
form of bounce, pitch, roll or sway. These tendencies give rise to an uncomfortable ride and
also cause additional stress in the automobile frame and body. All the parts which perform the
function of isolating the automobile from the road shocks are collectively called a suspension
system. Broadly speaking, suspension system consists of a spring and a damper. The energy
of road shock causes the spring to oscillate. These oscillations are restricted to a reasonable
level by the damper, which is more commonly called a shock absorber. The Figure 1.1 shows
a diagram of simple suspension system.[1]
Figure 1.1: Suspension system (Courtesy:www.HDABOB.com)
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MAGIC BODY CONTROL
The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the
road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort
of the passengers. If roads were perfectly ﬂat, with no irregularities, suspensions wouldn’t
be necessary but they are not therefore these imperfections interact with the wheels of a car
and apply some forces on them. A bump in the road causes the wheel to move up and down
perpendicular to the road surface. The magnitude depends on whether the wheel is striking a
giant bump or a tiny speck. Either way, the car wheel experiences a vertical accelerations it
passes over an imperfection.
1.1 OBJECTIVES OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The suspension system in a vehicle have different kinds of objectives. The main objectives
of a suspension system are mentioned below:-
(i) To safeguard the occupants against road shocks and provides riding comfort.
(ii) To isolate the structure of vehicle from shock loading and vibration due to irregularities
of road surface without affecting its stability.
(iii) To minimize the rolling and pitching tendency.
(iv) To keep vehicle body in perfect level while traveling over rough roads.
(v) To support the weight of the vehicle.
(vi) To provide suitable riding and cushioning properties
(vii) To provide good road holding
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. 2 SIMAT , Vavanoor

Chapter 2
CLASSIFICATION OF SUSPENSION SYSTEM
The suspension system can be broadly classified into two; according to transfer of road
shock from one wheel to another wheel, and according to the usage of external power source
as well as based on the varying characteristics of the shock absorbers used in the suspension
system.
2.1 ACCORDING TO TRANSFER OF ROAD SHOCK
According to transfer of road shock from one wheel to another it is classified as dependent
suspension system and independent suspension system. These are explained below.
2.1.1 DEPENDENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM
When a vehicle with dependent suspension system (Rigid axle suspension system)
encounters road irregularities, the axle tilts and the wheel no longer remain vertical. This
causes the whole vehicle to tilt on one side such a state of affairs is not desirable. Apart from
causing rough ride,it causes wheel wobble the road adhesion is also decreased[1]
. It comprises
of a beam that hold wheels parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axle. It includes
Trailing arms, Satchel link, Pan hard rod, Watt’s linkage, and wob link and Mumford linkage.
2.1.2 INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM
To avoid the difficulties of dependent system as explained above the wheels are sprung
independent of each other, so that tilting of one does not effect the other. It includes Swing
axle, Sliding pillar, multi-link suspension, semi-trailing arm suspension, swinging arm and
leaf springs.
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MAGIC BODY CONTROL
2.2 ACCORDING TO THE USAGE OF EXTERNAL POWER
According to the usage of external power the suspension system can be divided into
passive suspension system,semi active suspension system and active suspension system.
2.2.1 PASSIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Conventional suspension system is also known as a passive suspension system consisting
of spring and damper mounted at each wheels of the vehicle in parallel. The function of
spring in vehicle suspension is to support the vehicle body and at the same time it is used to
absorb and store the energy. The damper or shock absorber is a component of the vehicle
suspension used to dissipate the vibration energy stored in the spring and control the input
from the road that is transmitted to the vehicle. Other purposes of suspension system are to
isolate sprung mass from the unsprung mass vibration, to provide directional stability during
cornering and provide damping for the high frequency vibration.
So in a passive suspension system, the characteristics of damper is a choice made
by the designer according to the conditions for which the vehicle is being designed. The
characteristics is a compromise between the ride comfort and vehicle handling in case of
a passive suspension system. The basic design of a passive suspension system is shown in
Figure 2.1. A heavily damped vehicle will have good vehicle handling, but at the same time
transfers heavy shocks and vibrations directly to the body of vehicle. On the other hand, a
lightly damped vehicle will give a more comfortable ride.
Figure 2.1: Passive suspension system (Courtesy:www.asme.org)

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
2.2.2 SEMI ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
This was first proposed during the year 1970. In this, the conventional spring in the
suspension system is retained but the damper used is replaced with a controllable damper as
shown in Figure 2.2.
Figure 2.2: Semi active suspension system (Courtesy:www.asme.org)
The semi active suspension system uses an external energy source to adjust the damping
levels and make use of a controller and a set of sensors for this. Semi-active suspension
system is quite similar with the conventional suspension system. This kind of suspension
has a spring and controllable damper in which the spring element is used to store the energy
meanwhile the controllable damper is used to dissipate the energy. Some of the semi-active
suspension systems use the passive damper and the controllable spring, the controllable
damper usually acts with limited capability to produce a controlled force when dissipating
energy. The semi active suspension is of two types:-
(i) Solenoid or Valve Actuated
(ii) Magneto rheological
SOLENOID OR VALVE ACTUATED
It consists of a solenoid valve which alters the flow of the medium within the shock
absorbers. This altering flow patterns produces varying dampening characteristics. The
solenoids are connected to the ECU which controls its operation based on the output of
control algorithms.

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
MAGNETO RHEOLOGICAL
Magneto rheological suspension systems are the most recently developed ones. It makes
use of a fluid called the MR fluid or the magneto rheological fluid. It consists of oil and ferrous
particles that are coated with anti-coagulant material to prevent coagulation. The size of
ferrous particles are 20-50 microns in diameter.The Figure 2.3 shows a detailed view of a
magneto rheological damper. The operation of magneto rheological system is dependent on
the varying magnetic field strength. The change in magnetic field strength results in change
in viscosity of the fluid resulting in a change in dampening effect.
Figure 2.3: Magneto rheological damper (Courtesy:www.mech4world.com)
2.2.3 ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
An active suspension system makes use of a force actuator instead of the damper and
spring system in the passive suspension system. A schematic diagram of an active suspension
is shown in the Figure 2.4.
Figure 2.4: Active suspension system (Courtesy:www.asme.org)

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
The force actuator used in an active suspension system can act as both multiplier and
divisor of energy from the system. It also have an additional advantage of controlling
the altitude of the vehicle. They can also nullify the effects produced during braking and
acceleration, i.e can limit the pitching and rolling effects on vehicle.Active suspension system
has the ability to response to the vertical changes in the road input. The force actuator has its
own task which is to add or dissipate energy from the system. The force actuator is control
by various types of controller determine by the designer. The correct control strategy will
give better compromise between comfort and vehicle stability. Therefore active suspension
system offer better riding comfort and vehicle handling to the passengers. There are two types
of active suspension system in use.
(i) Electromagnetic Recuperative
(ii) Hydraulic Actuated
ELECTROMAGNETIC RECUPERATIVE
These are those types of suspensions that uses a linear electromagnetic motors as the shock
absorbers. These motors at he same time can also act as generators. They have got high
responsiveness and load withstanding capacity. The university of Texas has got a patent on
Electronically controlled active suspension systems.
HYDRAULIC ACTUATED
These types of suspensions makes use of the hydraulic servo mechanisms. Hydraulic pressure
is developed by hydraulic pump. It makes use of number of sensors, that continuously
monitors the motion and height of vehicle. Based on these data, the ECU operate the hydraulic
servos to vary the pressure in the ﬂuid. This computer controlled suspensions are the best in
making compromise between ride handling and vehicle stability.

Chapter 3
DRAWBACKS OF CONVENTIONAL SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Most of the vehicles in the world uses passive suspension system which does not use
external power to damp the road irregularities acting on it. But nowadays the general trend in
automotive world is semi active and active suspension systems which uses external power as
well as sensors to damp the road shock. Drawbacks of conventional suspension system are as
follows:-
(i) The spring can only generate force in response to a relative displacement between body
and wheel.
(ii) The damper (shock absorber) can only generate forces related to the relative velocity of
the wheel with respect to the body (i.e, relative velocity).
(iii) In general,the performance of the suspension is fundamentally limited by the stored
energy in the body or wheel interconnection which is in turn related to its history.
(iv) The damper, generating forces in response to relative velocity, can only operate in the
dissipate mode.
(v) Due to the higher unsprung weight,greater will be the energy stored due to vibrations
and consequently greater shock is developed.
(vi) Since both wheels are tied together the force acting on each wheel are directed to the
other wheel. Under the load this causes the wheels to shake and decrease the stability
of the vehicle in corners.
(vii) Due to the high mass of the axle and the wheels being connected there is not much
ride isolation between the springs and unsprung mass. This results in rough ride and
decreases the road holding capacity.
8

Chapter 4
MAGIC BODY CONTROL
In modern world the competition in automotive field is increasing day by day, hence in
luxurious cars the function of suspension system is not only to provide safety and comfort
but also to provide magic carpet like ride, so every automotive firms produces their own
technologies and most of these suspension systems were active system which uses controllable
force actuator to generate counter force according to the command from sensors and ECU to
take down the road undulations.
Magic body control (MBC) is the latest revolution in suspension technology,created by
Mercedes-Benz and the project manager of magic body control is Stefan Cytrynsky. MBC
is a fully active suspension system consist of hydraulically controlled suspension system
on each wheels, several sensors, stereo camera and ECU by the combined working of these
components it is able to provide a magic carpet like ride.
It combines sporty handling with a high level of ride comfort. Additionally, this system
allows the speed-dependent lowering of the body. This change in ride height means a low
center of gravity, resulting in significantly increased directional stability, as well as increased
aerodynamic efficiency.
On a bumpy road, it makes the shocks softer so the vehicle rides better. The vehicle s
handling characteristics are improved. The road profile is scanned by the stereo camera
and it sends to the ECU and the information obtained from sensors on the axles for ride
height, and acceleration sensors on the body for vehicle pitch, is evaluated in the ECU. This
ECU can control the adjustment of the individual shock absorbers within milliseconds by
addition or removal of oil from hydraulic cylinder situated in the strut assembly. As long as no
higher dampening forces are required for instance, when driving straight ahead on good roads
the damper settings remain comfortably soft. Specific adjustments to the dampening force
at individual wheels eliminate body movement, which could affect occupant comfort and
vehicle control. In some cases, when cornering, braking, or accelerating, adaptive dampening
can automatically reduce rolling or pitching movements.
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MAGIC BODY CONTROL
4.1 FEATURES OF MAGIC BODY CONTROL
Several features of magic body control system is explained below[2]
.
(i) With the worlds first suspension system with "eyes".
The eyes means that it s stereo camera which continually monitor the road surface
ahead fifteen meters and provide data to the electronic control unit this process is called
road surface scan.
(ii) Like riding on a flying carpet.
Mercedes-Benz is presenting a new innovation: the new S-Class is the worlds first car
capable of detecting road surface undulations in advance. If road surface scan detects
such unevenness by means of the stereo camera in the windscreen, magic body control
sets up the active suspension beforehand to deal with the situation. This helps to ensure
a unique level of ride comfort. "You almost glide over the road, as if you are on a flying
carpet", explains Stefan Cytrynski, the Project Manager responsible for MBC.
(iii) Satisfying all requirements.
The highly sensitive and innovative sensor system used by MBC is optionally available
on vehicles starting with 8-cylinder engine variants. As part of this system, the suspension
can be optionally adjusted to highly comfortable or sporty rigid through the Comfort
and Sport settings. It is therefore possible to select at will whether any unevenness in
the road should be compensated for to impressive effect, or whether more feedback
should be provided through the road surface conditions.
(iv) Technology that looks ahead.
Road surface scan uses a stereo camera positioned behind the windscreen. It measures
the road up to 15 meters in front of the vehicle and with a height measurement accuracy
of more than around 3 millimeters.This provides a precise picture of the road surface
profile. Together with the information on the driving conditions, the control unit
continually calculates the best control strategy for dealing with unevenness in the road.
Based on this, the active suspension is able to make the damping harsher or softer
within fractions of a second in advance and individually for each separate wheel, and
increase or decrease the load on each wheel through the active hydraulics. This can
help to reduce vehicle body movements significantly.

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
(v) A magical combination.
Magic body control is based on the ABC (Active Body Control) suspension featuring
active suspension which improves both comfort and driving dynamics. In the case of
Active Body Control from Mercedes-Benz, the four spring struts are ﬁtted with hydraulic
cylinders to enable the force in each spring strut to be adjusted individually. As a result,
the vertical, rolling and pitching movements to which the body can be subjected are
almost completely compensated for. The control unit receives information on the
current driving conditions from various acceleration sensors and compares it with the
data from the pressure sensors in the spring struts and the level sensors on the control
arms. Subsequently the system calculates control signals for the servo-hydraulic valves
on the front and rear axle, in order to meter the ﬂow of oil appropriately. All of this
results in a magical combination of optimum comfort and impressive driving dynamics.
4.2 COMPONENTS
The Figure 4.1 shows the system components and the major components are described
below
Figure 4.1: Components of magic body control (Courtesy:www.carsguide.com)

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
(i) ECU (Electronic control unit)
(ii) Stereo camera
(iii) Sensors
(iv) Reservoir
(v) Hydraulic servo mechanism
(vi) Shock absorbers
4.2.1 ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT)
The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) is the central element of the system. ECU controls the entire
system units in the suspension system. It processes the relevant messages from the other
units on the vehicle and discreet input signals. It receives inputs from different sensors,stereo
camera placed on the wind screen and driving mode selection unit. The result is the signals
that actuate the hydraulic servo mechanism and shock absorbers. The main functions of ECU
are:-
(i) calculates the current driving status
(ii) Independent controlling of shock absorbers
(iii) Selection dampening characteristics
4.2.2 STEREO CAMERA
Stereo camera act as the "eyes" of the MBC system. The stereo camera is situated in the wind
screen it continually monitor the road surface ahead 15 meters and reports to the ECU in
the form of electronic signal this process is called road surface scan[3]
. The stereo camera
is a infrared camera and beside these road surface scan process another technologies like
intelligent drive system and parking assistance also uses these camera.

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
4.2.3 SENSORS
There are different type of sensors used in magic body control system.Each sensors senses
each quantities continuously and reported to the ECU at the interval of 10 millisecond[4]
.The
main sensors used in magic body control are:-
(i) Acceleration Sensors
(ii) Pressure sensor
(iii) Vehicle height sensor
ACCELERATION SENSORS
To achieve optimum dampening for every driving condition, the control unit must recognize
the relationship of the body movement (sprung mass) to that of the axle components (unsprung
mass). The movement of the body is measured by three acceleration sensors called longitudinal
acceleration sensor,lateral acceleration sensor,vertical acceleration sensor.The Longitudinal
Acceleration Sensor reports acceleration and deceleration to the ECU by these data the
ECU can calculate the time taken to reach the road undulation and also ECU provide best
control strategy reduce the bouncing action during acceleration and deceleration.The lateral
acceleration sensor detects transverse or side-to-side movements and the vertical acceleration
sensors detect lifting motion and pitch and roll of the body these are three in number and
located at different positions of vehicle.
PRESSURE SENSOR
The pressure sensor measures the pressure of the front and rear axle strut assembly also it
senses the pressure developed in the servo mechanism and hydraulic pipe lines and these
data were reported to ECU. By measuring the pressure in the hydraulic pipe line it is easy to
detect any leakage, block in the pipe line.
VEHICLE HEIGHT SENSOR
Vehicle height sensor is rotary hall effect sensors that enable the computer to more accurately
measure ride height as well as to compensate for the road variations. This prevents the vehicle
from bottoming out when crossing over railway tracks or similar road irregularities. These are
four in number and located in each wheels to measure the vehicle vehicles height at every
condition.

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
4.2.4 RESERVOIR
The reservoir is used to stored the oil and it supplies to the hydraulic servomechanism as per
the command of the ECU. The reservoir is situated at the rear side of the vehicle as shown in
Figure 4.1.
4.2.5 HYDRAULIC SERVO MECHANISM
It is a mechanism that uses automatic feedback and hydraulics to correct the performance of
a machine. In magic body control system the ECU directs the servo mechanism on how to
correct the car’s positioning.
4.2.6 SHOCK ABSORBERS
Shock absorbers is used to absorb shock impulses formed during different road shocks.
Magic body control suspension system uses a electronically controlled shock absorbers that
feature variable shock dampening. The degree of dampening is controlled by the computer
based on input from the different sensors, ECU and stereo camera.
4.3 MAGIC BODY CONTROL WORKING
Magic body control suspension system is a fully active suspension system. It is a built
in system in S class models of Mercedes-Benz. The MBC system starts to operate as soon
as the ignition key is turned on. This system successfully encounter the road irregularities
Figure 4.2: Operation of strut assembly (Courtesy:www.team-bhp.com)

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
with lesser transmission of road shocks to the chassis. The Figure 4.2 shows the movement of
wheel, plunger and chassis respectively while taking a hump. The gray line indicates the wheel
movement orange line indicates the plunger movement inside the strut assembly, which is
controlled by ECU and servomechanism according to the signals from stereo camera and
sensors. The blue line indicates the movement of vehicle body by analyzing it is seen that
the amount shock transmitted to the chassis is effectively reduced and provides a magic
carpet like ride[4]
. This magic carpet like ride is achieved by three stages of operation of the
components.
In first stage the stereo camera continually monitor the road surface ahead 15 meters in
front of the vehicle with a height measurement accuracy of more than around 3 millimeters
and provides a complete data about road surface this process is called road surface scan.
These scanned data were send to ECU in the form of electronic pulse signals.
In second stage several sensors like pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, vehicle height
sensors senses the corresponding data as described earlier and sends to the ECU.
In third stage the data entered to the control unit is analyzed by ECU and provide best
control strategy to encounter the irregularities in the road that is providing oil with sufficient
pressure and quantity to the hydraulic cylinder in the strut assembly through hydraulic servo
mechanism.
For example when the vehicle taking a hump the stereo camera provides an image of hump
with high accuracy to the ECU in the form of electronic pulse signals and the vehicle height
sensor senses the current level of vehicle pressure sensor senses the pressure in strut assembly,
hydraulic lines and the various acceleration sensors senses the acceleration, deceleration
and pitching, rolling tendencies of vehicle and reports these data to the ECU. By analyzing
these data the ECU calculates the time taken to reach the hump and provides appropriate
pressurized oil to the hydraulic cylinder in the strut assembly, causing the plunger to move
inside the cylinder finally due to the operation of plunger, oil, shock absorber and coil spring
the vehicle height remains constant and provides easy take over of hump without bounce or
pitching actions.

Chapter 5
DRIVER INFLUENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS
5.1 DRIVER INFLUENCE
The driver can inﬂuence the suspension characteristics by selecting different driving
modes. The driving modes differ according to the car manufacturer’s preferences. Driving
modes used in Mercedes-Benz S class are:-
(i) Comfort mode.
(ii) Sport mode.
5.1.1 COMFORT MODE
In comfort mode the vehicle is equipped with basic leveling,comfort oriented suspension
that is sensitive response and soft dampening characteristics is achieved.The suspension level
is automatically adjusted depend on road shock and lowered by ten millimeters at speeds
over 120 km/hr hence aerodynamic drag is reduced, and handling stability is improved by the
car’s low center of gravity[5]
. Beside these the vehicle suspension can raised by 30 millimeters,
for example on poor road surfaces or when negotiating a driveway. When a speed of 80 km/h
is exceeded the suspension is automatically lowered after driving for three minutes, and
immediately when it reaches 120 km/hr.
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MAGIC BODY CONTROL
5.1.2 SPORT MODE
In sport mode the vehicle is equipped with a suspension system that having 40 percentage
more stiffer response than comfort mode in this mode the suspension level is automatically
adjusted according to speed and road shock[5]
.The suspension level is lowered by ten millimeters
at speeds over 80 km/hr. By enabling the sport mode rolling action is effectively reduced and
provide more sporty performance at corners.
5.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGIC BODY CONTROL
Magic body control has several characteristics than other suspension system these
characteristics are explained below:-
(i) It ensures stability of vehicle at all time.
(ii) The vehicle height remains constant regardless the road condition.
(iii) The driver can select mode of operation that is sport or comfort.
(iv) Electronically controlled dampening at each wheel.
(v) It provides optimum comfort and impressive driving dynamics.
(vi) Effective elimination of pitching,rolling and bouncing
(vii) Improved handling due to automatic lowering of vehicle at higher speeds.
5.3 EQUIPPED VEHICLES
Magic body control is bit expensive technology hence it is used in luxurious cars. It is
equipped in following cars.
(i) Mercedes-Benz S class
(ii) Rolls Royce Ghost

Chapter 6
MERITS AND DEMERITS
6.1 MERITS
(i) Stability at all time
Since MBC is a computer controlled this system ensures stability of vehicle at all time
regardless the road condition
(ii) High level of ride comfort
By the combination of active suspension system and stereo camera the ride comfort is
increased.
(iii) Speed-dependent lowering of vehicle
Magic body control system provides speed dependent lowering of body which improves
aerodynamics and handling stability is improved by the car’s low center of gravity.
(iv) Minimizes pitching, rolling and bouncing actions
When vehicle takes a turn it have a tendency to roll about longitudinal axis.Pitching
is occurred during braking or acceleration. It is the rocking action of vehicle about
transverse axis.Bouncing is occurred while the vehicle taking humps.These effects are
reduced by independent control of shock absorbers through ECU,servo mechanism
and sensors
(v) Less time of operation .
The total operation time for adaptive air suspension is less than 20 milliseconds.
18

MAGIC BODY CONTROL
6.2 DEMERITS
(i) High cost
The cost of the magic body control is comparatively high because it contains ECU,
sensors, stereo camera .
(ii) Maintenance became difﬁcult and costlier.
Specialized technician and equipments are required for maintenance. Faulty maintenance
lead to dangerous situations.
(iii) Requires super quick micro computers.
As the time of operation is less than 20 millisecond super quick micro computers are
unavoidable component of MBC which in-turn increases the overall cost.
(iv) Space requirements
The space requirements for the magic body control is quite large, as it uses different
type of sensors, electronic control unit and other components.

Chapter 7
CONCLUSION
It is concluded by studying about magic body control that the Mercedes-Benz created a
revolutionary change in suspension system which takes off all the drawbacks of conventional
suspension system
Since all luxurious cars having higher cost for their brands and services hence for customer
satisfaction these vehicles must provide optimum comfort and impressive driving dynamics,
For achieving these goals MBC uses a magical combination of ECU, sensors, stereo camera
and hydraulic servo mechanism and provides best suited dampening characteristics for each
wheels.
Thus from this study, it has been clear that the development of magic body control
suspension system has made it possible the dream of vehicle with optimum comfort and
negligible roll and pitch.
20

Bibliography
[1] Dr.kirpal singh, Automobile Engineering,Standard Publishers Distributors,VOL 1
[2] Mercedes-Benz , https://www.Mercedes-Benz.com
[3] Automobile magazine, http://www.automobilemag.com
[4] Ishan Raghava , A journal on modern suspension systems, 2013
[5] DAIMLAR, https://media.daimler.com
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Magic Body Control Suspension

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