Springy

THE CHALLENGE: Astrocize

Space Station

Find a way to adapt common gym tools for a reduced gravity environment and design a workout routine that can minimize bone and muscular loss while being fun and easy to use during a long term mission. In doing so consider constraints regarding weight (equipment should weigh less than 500kg) and dimensions. Consider incorporating virtual reality to simulate a jog through an astronaut’s favorite Earth destinations or incorporate gaming to motivate users.

Explanation

Springy is a hypothetical gymnasium at space station; where all the devices and the whole workout is based on the restoring forces of springs;To use it, astronauts pull and twist stretchy springs for a total body workout. From squats and bending exercises for the legs, to arm exercises, astronauts can do them all in springy. you act with a work on the spring and the spring responds with a reaction sufficient enough for the exercise. The motivation comes from the fact that springs lose their elastic limit of deformation after 1128000 cycles, beside their cheap prices and abundance. Therefore, after the math has been done, a CAD model has been made and the vision has been clarified, springy seems to be a realiable solution.

Resources Used

[1] Diaz, Ana, Chris Trigg, and Laurence R. Young. "Combining Ergometer Exercise And Artificial Gravity In A Compact-Radius Centrifuge". Acta Astronautica 113 (2015): 80-88. Web. https://mvl.mit.edu/sites/default/files/BiblioPDF/Diaz%20et%20al%202015%20-%20Combining%20ergometer%20exercise%20and%20artificial%20gravity%20in%20a%20compact%20radius%20centrifuge.pdf

[2] YE, Ping. "Resistive Exercise Device Based On Spring Mechanism For Astronauts". Journal of Mechanical Engineering 50.23 (2014): 1. Web.

[3] "Study On The Lifetime Of Metalic Helical Springs Used For The Suspensions Of Road And Railway Vehicles". N.p., 2016. Print. http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2013/Dubrovnik/MATHMECH/MATHMECH-05.pdf

[4]Nash, Roxanne E. et al. "Changes In Muscle Volume And Strength Following 16 Weeks Of Training Using The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) And Free Weights". Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 41.Supplement 1 (2009): 284-285. Web.(https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/553871main_AP_ST_Phys_ARE...)

[5]"NASA - Advanced Resistive Exercise Device". Nasa.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research...)

[6]"NASA - COLBERT Ready For Serious Exercise". Nasa.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/behindsc...)

[7]"A Bitter Pill: Muscular Atrophy". Themittani.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.(https://www.themittani.com/features/bitter-pill-mu...)

[8]"‘Anti-Gravity’ Treadmills Speed Rehabilitation". Spinoff.nasa.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.(https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2009/hm_5.html)