Dynamic vehicle suspension system including electronically commutated motor

A suspension system for controlling the relative position of a vehicle and a wheel assembly supporting the vehicle for travel over a surface of terrain, said system comprising:

• a resilient member connecting the vehicle and the wheel assembly along an axis to establish an equilibrium position therebetween in which the vehicle is supported in a predetermined position with respect to the surface of the terrain;
• a rotatable assembly having a threaded shaft;
• a stationary assembly on the vehicle magnetically coupled to said rotatable assembly and having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be electrically energized to apply an electromagnetic field to said rotatable assembly thereby to rotatably drive said rotatable assembly on a rotational axis parallel to the axis of the resilient member;
• a nut engaging the threaded shaft and on the wheel assembly for linearly changing the relative position of said vehicle and said wheel assembly along an axis coaxial with the rotational axis in response to rotation of said rotatable assembly as driven by said stationary assembly;
• and
• means responsive to deviations of the vehicle from its predetermined position for energizing the winding stages to substantially maintain the vehicle in its predetermined position as the vehicle travels over the surface of the terrain.