BIMGEC — BIO-INSPIRED MICRO GRAVITY EXERCISE CONCEPT
By Moses Rowen (IE)
BIMGEC is a compact, lightweight workout machine, designed to offset the issues related to osteoporosis, muscular atrophy and negative psychological impact associated with long-term space travel.
BIMGEC emulates weight in zero gravity, both for weight-training exercises and as a rowing machine for aerobic workouts. It incorporates a unique eccentric bias system to increase the effective load during the eccentric phase of a rep. BIMGEC was designed for and won an open call by NASA for a bio-inspired advanced exercise concept for use in their Orion capsule for future manned interplanetary missions.
Nature provided inspiration for the method of resistance generation in the form of a chameleon’s tongue, which can store energy in a collagen spiral structure for release when required. The tongue is analogised here by spiral-form constant torque springs. A toroidal, continuously variable transmission was designed for the application as the resolution is effectively infinite. The spring battery delivers a constant resistive torque, so the effective ‘weight’ that the user experiences is varied by changing the gear ratio between the input and output shafts.
When in use, workout specific equipment is attached to the blue eyelet; a handle can be attached for rowing exercises, a harness for squats, etc. The load profile can be varied between aerobic, resistive and eccentric bias settings. In aerobic mode, BIMGEC acts like a rowing machine, delivering workouts requiring up to 750W of continuous power. In resistive mode, BIMGEC becomes a typical weight training system; it can deliver between 12kg and 180kg of concentric resistive force with infinite resolution between these settings. Eccentric bias mode allows BIMGEC to simulate higher forces when the weight is lowered, reducing the likelihood of astronaut injury.
BIMGEC is totally self contained, requiring no external power. The entire system weighs 9kg and is roughly the size of a shoebox.
BIO
Moses is an award-winning freelance designer specialising in innovation design, with diverse industry experience and degrees in both industrial design and mechanical engineering. He operates a design consultancy from his Dublin workshop. Moses believes good design can change people's lives for the better by utilising a multidisciplinary approach to solve complex problems.