Compartmentalized Abdominal Activator for Haptic Posture Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the exercise industry, subjects often fail to maintain proper posture alignment during exercises, leading to potential injuries due to the lack of effective tactile feedback on correct form.
Innovation Solution
A weighted abdominal activator device with flexible compartments and fluid-filled or weighted material is placed over the abdomen to provide haptic and auditory feedback when improper movements occur, supplemented by electronic sensors for additional feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exercise instructors monitor subjects to maintain proper alignment, then posture alignment is improved, but tactile feedback to the subject is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the abdominal activator detects improper movements through sensors and provides immediate tactile feedback to the subject. The system monitors abdominal movements during exercises and activates haptic motors to notify the subject when proper posture alignment is not maintained, creating a closed-loop feedback system that enables self-correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The abdominal activator serves as an intermediary device between the instructor and the subject. It translates the instructor's monitoring into objective sensor data and converts this information into tactile feedback that the subject can perceive, bridging the information gap without requiring direct instructor intervention.
2Ease of operation
If weighted material is placed inside the exterior portion, then haptic feedback is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The abdominal activator is divided into multiple compartments within the exterior portion, with each compartment containing weighted material. This segmentation allows the device to provide localized haptic feedback for different abdominal regions while keeping each individual compartment simple in structure, making the overall device more manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The weighted material inside the exterior portion provides passive haptic feedback through gravity and movement resistance without requiring active power sources or complex control systems. The device serves itself by using the weight of the material to provide tactile notification, reducing the need for additional electronic components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides immediate tactile and auditory feedback to correct posture alignment, reducing the risk of injury and improving muscle engagement, particularly of the transverse abdominis, through real-time detection and response to improper movements.
Implementation Method 1
a weighted material with fluid properties that is placed inside the exterior portion
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are embodiments of an abdominal activator for providing posture alignment feedback. One embodiment of the abdominal activator includes an exterior portion constructed of a flexible material, where the exterior portion is shaped to overlay a predetermined section of an abdomen of a subject, and where the exterior portion is divided into a plurality of compartments. Some embodiments include a weighted material with fluid properties that is placed inside the exterior portion in at least one of the plurality of compartments. When the abdominal activator is placed on the abdomen of the subject, the weighted material provides haptic feedback when an improper movement is made by the subject during an exercise.