Exercise Machine Power Feedback via Appliance Comparison
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise machines lack effective motivational methods to encourage users to perform workouts effectively, leading to suboptimal performance improvement.
Innovation Solution
An exercise machine equipped with detection means to measure muscular power, a computer connected to a display, and a memory containing power values of electric household appliances, which generates graphical comparisons to motivate users by showing the equivalence or difference in power output relative to these appliances, encouraging increased effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If exercise machines provide basic workout functionality, then device complexity is low, but motivational effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors user power output through detection means and provides real-time feedback by comparing it to household appliance power consumption values. The display shows graphical representations of appliances that the user's power output can sustain, creating immediate feedback that motivates users to increase effort during workouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary comparison mechanism that translates abstract power output measurements into relatable household appliance equivalents. This intermediary layer (appliance comparison) bridges the gap between raw data and user understanding, making the feedback more motivating without requiring complex motivational systems.
2Productivity
If exercise machines provide no motivational feedback, then device complexity is low, but workout performance improvement is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback during workouts by monitoring power output and displaying equivalent household appliances. This feedback loop allows users to see their progress in real-time and adjust effort accordingly, directly improving workout performance without requiring overly complex systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation from raw power values to relatable household appliance equivalents. This parameter transformation makes the feedback more meaningful and motivating, enabling better performance improvement while keeping the system relatively simple.
3Ease of operation
If exercise machines use complex motivational methods, then motivational effectiveness is high, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating entirely new complex motivational systems, the patent copies and adapts an existing familiar concept (household appliance power consumption) for use in the exercise context. This copying approach provides effective motivation by leveraging users' existing knowledge of appliance power requirements, avoiding the need for complex new motivational frameworks.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise machine equipped with a device designed to be driven to move by the user during a workout, by applying a muscular force against a resistant load and which includes: a detector for detecting the muscular power applied by the user to the device; a display; a computer connected to the display and having access to a memory containing a plurality of values, representative of the power nominally absorbed by a plurality of corresponding electric household appliances, and digital data for graphically representing the plurality of electric household appliances, the computer being programmed for: comparing the power detected by the detector and at least one of the power values contained in the memory; and for generating on the display, depending on the comparison, a graphical output of the comparison, including a graphical representation of at least one of the electric household appliances, generated based on the digital data.