ALMA transporter damping system

The ALMA antennae will be moved between their possible location in the array, and from and to the maintenance station using the gigantic transporters. One issue, however, is that the unpaved roads tend to develop a "washboard" surface. When driving on these roads, the transporter would submit the antenna to dangerous vibration. The transporters have therefore been fitted with a special damping system: each of the 14 wheel is now equipped with an actively controlled damper that will avoid any dangerous resonance. Image taken October 2007.