Pedal Actuator with Force Sensor for Back Pain Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing healthcare exercising devices fail to effectively alleviate lower back and knee pain by not providing sufficient spinal support and muscle strengthening, leading to inadequate relief for individuals with degenerative spinal changes.
Innovation Solution
A back improvement apparatus featuring linear actuators with pedals and sensors that adjust resistance based on user force, allowing for controlled exercise to strengthen lower back and pelvic muscles, with a mechanism that retracts the pedal when a predetermined force threshold is exceeded and returns when the force drops below another threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed resistance exercise devices are used, then exercise structure is simple, but they cannot provide customized resistance for users of varying physical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The exercise device transitions from fixed resistance to dynamic resistance by using sensors to detect user force and controllers to adjust resistance levels in real-time, enabling customized exercise programs for users of varying physical strength while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular actuator design
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the resistance parameter dynamically based on sensor feedback, allowing the same physical device to provide different resistance levels to different users or to the same user at different exercise stages, achieving adaptability without requiring multiple fixed-resistance devices
2Stability of the object's composition
If pelvic belts are used to prevent sliding, then user stability is improved, but they may cause discomfort or restrict natural movement
Solution Approach 1:
The device replaces the mechanical constraint of pelvic belts with an active control system using sensors and linear actuators that detect user movement and dynamically adjust pedal position to maintain stability, eliminating the need for restrictive belts while preserving natural movement
Solution Approach 2:
The exercise device monitors user movement through sensors and automatically adjusts its own pedal position to maintain optimal stability, eliminating the need for external restrictive devices and allowing users to move naturally while remaining stable throughout the exercise range
3Manufacturing precision
If manual exercise control is used, then device complexity is low, but exercise precision and muscle targeting are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates sensors that detect user force and position, providing real-time feedback to controllers that adjust linear actuator output to precisely control pedal movement, ensuring accurate muscle targeting and exercise form while maintaining manageable complexity through feedback-based automation
4Adaptability or versatility
If fixed pedal position is used, then device structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate users of varying physical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The pedal mechanism transitions from fixed position to dynamic position control, where linear actuators adjust pedal position in real-time based on sensor feedback and controller algorithms that adapt to each user's physical strength, achieving versatility without requiring completely different devices for different users
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 apparatus effectively strengthens lower back and pelvic muscles, reducing the burden on the vertebrae and alleviating pain by providing customized resistance and support during exercise, suitable for users of varying physical strength and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (38), disposed between the piston (34) and the pedal (40), for objecting to shift the pedal towards the piston
Implementation Method 2
a sensor (18), for measuring a force exerted on the pedal (40) by a foot of the user; Preferably the sensor (18) is a piezoelectric sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for back improvement and lower-back pain and knees relieving, the apparatus including, for each foot of a user, a pedal shiftable along a linear axis, for allowing a foot of the user to exert force on the pedal, a sensor, for continuously sensing a force exerted on the pedal by the foot, a linear actuator having a longitudinal bore in a piston thereof, the linear actuator being configured to move the piston away from the pedal when the force on the pedal exceeds a first threshold, and a controller for reading a sensing of the sensor, the controller being adapted to instruct the mechanism to move the piston away from the pedal such that the pedal retracts in response to pressure exerted by the foot.