The Armored Group and Pi Innovo have jointly developed an active ride control system for use on armored law enforcement vehicles including Armored Non Standard Commercial Vehicles (ANSCV).
The Active Ride Control System (ARCS) replaces a vehicle's standard passive shock absorbers with an automatically controlled active damping system that improves vehicle stability and ride comfort over a wide range of terrains and vehicle speeds. Much of the standard vehicle suspension system is retained, providing optimized ride comfort and range of operation, according to a company release.
With the ARCS package, handling characteristics are not compromised on rough or loose surfaces. The ARCS package consists of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), electronically-controlled dampers, accelerometers, and the associated wiring harness to connect with the vehicle for power and CAN bus communications. The dampers used in the system are commercially-available parts and meet all appropriate durability requirements for passenger vehicles.
An armored Chevrolet Suburban demonstrator vehicle is available for ride and handling evaluations and has been used and evaluated for several months by organizations providing driver training to civilian and military organizations.
"I was extremely impressed with the quality and performance of the vehicle, the suspension system is second to none and far exceeded our driving instructor's expectations," said Kurt Delia, a former SWAT team leader and president of Delia Tactical International.
The ARCS system is now available as an installed option on armored Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes, GMC Yukons, and Cadillac Escalades built by The Armored Group.