Design and simulation of an active controller to reduce undesirable vertical vibrations in the 4DOF model of the seated human body in the vehicle

Abstract

To decrease and dampen the vibrations of the seated human bodies in a variety of settings like automobiles and public transportation, control theories and advanced controller design techniques are demanded. In this paper, we approach to design an active multivariable controller for a seated human body model, and results are derived and simulated via MATLAB. After examining the pros and cons of the previous models and strategies for the human body model, it has been decided to design an active controller based on pole placement analysis. This controller is designed for a lumped mass model of the human body with 4 degrees of freedom (4DOF) and with respect to the road excitations’ presence. In the suggested multivariable control strategy, the vertical movements of the four parts of the body are controlled via manipulation of an input force in the vertical direction that is presumed to be applied by a piezoelectric actuator. The dynamic behavior of the system around its natural frequencies is measured and the usefulness of the actuators is investigated.