Standalone controller for a bridge semi-active damper

Bridge dampers conceived as passive devices present a significant inconvenience in their need of requiring the definition of a reference ground motion for their design. They are conceived to serve as high stiffness components below a force threshold and to undergo large hysteretic cycles when the threshold is crossed. However, lower the threshold is to contrast the extreme excitation, higher the probability that the bridge devices undergo permanent deformation, under the serviceability excitation, becomes. Shifting from serviceability to ultimate conditions is only possible by adopting semiactive devices. The problem is then to select a reliable, standalone controller to be coupled with the semi-active device. This paper discusses the characteristics of a fuzzy-chip controller. It should be implemented in an electro-magnetic damper of industrial production.