Rotary shock absorbers? Wow, if I remember, my Sprite had them....
I did a quick google and learned that they seem destined to be in service for rail cars. I don't think them as that different, just that their actual shape and method of lever movement offers unique packaging for any engineer loking for novel solutions. Of course, if you integrate a rotary shock absorber with a torsion bar, maybe you start to have an interesting package.