Portable Cable Exercise Device With User-Specific Movement Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrically driven resistance training devices are expensive, non-portable, and require cameras and large screens, limiting their use to indoor environments and preventing easy transport to alternative venues.
Innovation Solution
An exercise device with a user interface, resistance mechanism, cable, sensors, and controller that estimates user-specific body structure and movement, providing coaching feedback based on actual vs. target movements, allowing for portable and versatile resistance training.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electrically driven resistance training devices include cameras and large display screens to monitor and provide feedback, then user performance monitoring and feedback capability is improved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the feedback provision function from the main device body and implements it through a mobile device (smartphone or tablet) that the user holds or wears. This separates the monitoring function (remaining in the device) from the feedback delivery function (moved to external mobile device), thereby reducing the need for complex integrated systems with built-in screens and cameras in the resistance training device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the resistance training device and the user for feedback delivery. The mobile device acts as a mediator that receives data from the resistance mechanism and presents feedback to the user, eliminating the need for the resistance training device to have its own complex display and camera systems.
2Measurement precision
If electrically driven resistance training devices are designed for indoor use with fixed installations, then performance monitoring capability is improved, but portability and ease of transport deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the exercise system into separable components: a portable resistance training device that can be easily transported, and a mobile device that provides feedback functionality. This segmentation allows the main training device to remain lightweight and portable while the monitoring and feedback functions are distributed to the user's personal mobile device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages the user's existing mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to perform multiple functions including performance monitoring display, feedback provision, and potentially exercise instruction. This universal use of a common personal device eliminates the need for dedicated specialized equipment, thereby maintaining portability.
Data Source
AI summary
A personal exercise device comprises a user interface to be moved by a user in a 3-dimensional space when using the device, a resistance mechanism to generate a force, a cable coupled between the user interface and the resistance mechanism to transmit the force from the resistance mechanism to the user interface, one or more sensors configured to detect movement of the user in the 3-dimensional space when using the device, a feedback device; and a controller in communication with the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to estimate a user specific body structure for the user, determine a user specific target movement for the user based on the user's body structure, determine an actual movement of the user when using the device to perform an exercise based on one or more outputs from the one or more sensors, and provide feedback to the user via the feedback device based on a comparison between the user's actual movement and the user specific target movement.