Movable Saddle Posture Tracking via Multi-Axis Motion Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing physical exercise devices with movable saddles for sports training, rehabilitation, and elderly care face challenges in ensuring correct user positioning and quantifying progress, as the user's posture cannot be easily verified, leading to potential misuse and unmeasured improvements.
Innovation Solution
A physical exercise device equipped with sensors to detect pitch, roll, and yaw movements, along with a calculation unit to determine angular amplitudes and display the position of the user's sit bones, allowing for real-time posture assessment and progress tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the user's pelvis and thighs conceal the saddle, then the user can be positioned on the saddle, but the correct positioning cannot be verified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sensors as intermediary elements attached to the saddle to detect user positioning. These sensors measure physical quantities (pressure distribution, position) and convert them into readable signals, allowing verification of correct posture without requiring direct visual inspection of the concealed saddle area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual verification with automated sensor-based detection systems. Instead of relying on visual inspection or mechanical indicators, the system uses electronic sensors to detect and communicate user positioning status, eliminating the need for complex mechanical verification mechanisms.
2Loss of information
If sensors and calculation units are added to detect and display posture, then posture verification and progress tracking are enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the saddle serve multiple functions: it remains the support structure for the user while simultaneously acting as the mounting platform for sensors. The same saddle structure that supports the user's weight also hosts the detection system, eliminating the need for separate verification equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the saddle structure with the sensor mounting system. The sensors are integrated into the saddle rather than being separate components, and the display system is merged with the existing exercise equipment interface, reducing the number of discrete parts while maintaining full functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the saddle is made movable with pitch, roll, and yaw capabilities, then exercise effectiveness is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring user position increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent attaches sensors at specific locations on the movable saddle to detect movements in different degrees of freedom. By placing sensors strategically at key points on the saddle structure, the system can detect pitch, roll, and yaw movements independently and accurately, simplifying the measurement of complex multi-axis motion.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosed physical exercise apparatus (2) comprises a frame (2') equipped with a crankset and a saddle (26), the saddle itself comprising a chassis (262) fastened to the frame, two saddle parts (266) and articulation members (267, 268) for articulating each saddle part relative to the chassis about a pitch axis (A26), about a roll axis (B26) and about a yaw axis (L26). This apparatus (2) also comprises sensors (30, 50) for detecting a pitch movement (T), a roll movement (R) and a yaw movement (L) of each saddle part, respectively about the pitch, roll and yaw axes, these movements resulting from pedalling performed by a user. At least one calculation unit (40) is configured to determine, from output signals (S30, S50) of the sensors, angular amplitudes (a, β, y) of the pitch (T), roll (R) and yaw (L) movements. At least one screen (29) is provided in order to display, depending on the angular amplitudes determined by the calculation unit (40), the position on each saddle part of a bearing point (PG, PD) of an ischium of the user in the process of pedalling.