Single Sensor Pneumatic Exercise Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fitness and rehabilitation apparatuses using pneumatic resistance elements require multiple pressure sensors on both sides of the piston, leading to a complex and costly sensor arrangement, which can be reduced by using a single pressure sensor and correlation algorithms to measure and control resistance effectively.
Innovation Solution
A fitness apparatus with a single pressure sensor connected to the pneumatic controller and a correlation-taught calculation unit, which measures pressure changes through the mechanical lever arm structure, eliminating the need for multiple pressure sensors and using motion sensors to calculate power, force, and range of motion, thereby simplifying the sensor structure and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple pressure sensors are used on both sides of the piston in pneumatic cylinders, then accurate measurement of resistance force is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the measurement function from multiple pressure sensors and concentrates it into a single pressure sensor that measures only the supply line pressure. The calculation unit then derives all necessary force information from this single pressure measurement combined with pneumatic cylinder geometry, eliminating the need for multiple sensors on both sides of the piston.
Solution Approach 2:
The calculation unit acts as an intermediary that transforms the single pressure sensor measurement into comprehensive force information. By using the known geometry of the pneumatic cylinders and the measured supply pressure, the calculation unit computes the forces on both sides of the piston without requiring direct physical measurement from multiple sensors.
2Loss of information
If multiple pressure sensors and extensive sensor arrays are used, then comprehensive measurement data is obtained, but apparatus size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The single pressure sensor performs multiple measurement functions by measuring the supply line pressure, from which all force information for both pneumatic cylinders can be derived. This universal approach replaces the need for separate pressure sensors on each cylinder and side, reducing sensor quantity while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical system of multiple physical pressure sensors with a computational system. The calculation unit uses mathematical relationships between supply pressure, cylinder geometry, and force to substitute for direct mechanical measurements that would otherwise require multiple sensors.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are extensively used for measuring pressure and motion, then accurate control of resistance is achieved, but reliability decreases due to more potential failure points
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the critical measurement function from a complex array of sensors and concentrates it into a single pressure sensor. By removing the redundant sensors, the system has fewer potential failure points while maintaining the ability to accurately control resistance through computational derivation of force information.
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
This configuration results in a smaller, more reliable, and cost-effective apparatus with accurate measurement and control of resistance, allowing for dynamic pressure adjustment and precise monitoring of exercise parameters without the need for extensive sensor arrays.
Implementation Method 1
pneumatic resistance elements, such as apparatuses using pneumatic cylinders
Implementation Method 2
a single pressure sensor connected to the pneumatic controller
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for an exercise task includes a pneumatic arrangement, which includes a pressure source, a pneumatic controller, pneumatic transfer channels, and at least one pneumatic resistor element, which includes a pneumatic cylinder with its piston. The apparatus additionally includes a mechanical lever arm structure or another mechanical connecting structure, which is for a user's limb contact and which is at a second end connected to the pneumatic resistor element. The apparatus additionally includes a sensor structure, a calculation arrangement and a display. The sensor structure is arranged to measure at least one measurement quantity of the exercise task and, based on the measurement, the calculation arrangement is arranged to form information on the display of the apparatus, regarding the power and/or force and/or range of motion of the exercise task. In the invention, regardless of the number of pneumatic resistor elements, the sensor structure includes one pressure sensor only, and to compensate for the small number of sensors, the calculation arrangement includes a correlation-taught calculation unit, which comprises a correlation algorithm taught with a larger number of sensors than the number of sensors in the apparatus, concerning the correlation between power and/or force and/or range of motion of the exercise task and the measured information.