Rory Dougall, Evan Jones, Eric Jacobsohn, Ali Al-Shaer,
It can be difficult for people with mobility impairments to get enough intense cardiovascular exercise through arm movements alone. Arm Assisted Passive Leg Exercise (AAPLE) is one method for greater exercise effects, with the passive movement of the legs increasing blood circulation and the load on the cardiovascular system. AAPLE can be accomplished with an arm-leg bike by using the arms to move the legs: e.g. transferring rotary motion on a hand crankset to a lower output shaft connected to the user’s feet via cranks and pedals. This project aims to design an AAPLE machine that balances cost and effectiveness. Current machines are prohibitively expensive, which makes them inaccessible to people with spinal cord injuries or other impairments in developing countries or even to most home users in North America. This project could lead to a low cost product that could be used to potentially offset some of the secondary side effects of such injuries,and improve people’s quality of life.Using globally available parts and easy to find materials that include a recycled bicycle frame and components and steel tubing, a cost efficient machine was built that still provides the primary functions of a modern stationary exercise machine. Design features include transferring rotary motion of hands to the feet with a bike chain,providing a smooth motion with a flywheel, adjusting resistance an eddy current brake,and aligning legs and feet with machine with a calf support. The technologies incorporated are simple, robust, and globally accessible.