2026-09-20T15:08:38Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1057022022-01-13T07:54:05Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131024
Amos G. Winter, V.
James, Bassey Henry
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
2016-12-05T19:58:40Z
2016-12-05T19:58:40Z
2016
2016
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/105702
964525668
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 31).
Tests were performed to determine how the use of an elastic energy storage mechanism on the Leveraged Freedom Chair would affect the rider's metabolic efficiency. For this test, elastic bands were attached to the levers, and the rider's heart rate was recorded as he rode multiple lengths of a field in a timed trial, in both the spring assisted LFC and the traditional LFC. Efficiency in the spring assisted LFC, normalized by the efficiency measured on the traditional chair, was found to be [epsilon]n = .684. This may indicate that there is a higher metabolic cost associated with pulling than with pushing in the LFC. The lower efficiency may also have resulted from the arbitrary choice of spring constant, as well as viscoelastic losses in the elastic bands. The user experienced much higher fatigue in the traditional LFC, primarily in the latter half of the 887 meter course, suggesting that in spite of the current decreases in efficiency, the spring system could add value by allowing users the option to travel longer distances.
by Bassey Henry James.
S.B.
31 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Mechanical Engineering.
Comparison of user metabolic efficiency between traditional and spring assisted leveraged freedom chair models
Thesis
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<Abstract>Tests were performed to determine how the use of an elastic energy storage mechanism on the Leveraged Freedom Chair would affect the rider's metabolic efficiency. For this test, elastic bands were attached to the levers, and the rider's heart rate was recorded as he rode multiple lengths of a field in a timed trial, in both the spring assisted LFC and the traditional LFC. Efficiency in the spring assisted LFC, normalized by the efficiency measured on the traditional chair, was found to be [epsilon]n = .684. This may indicate that there is a higher metabolic cost associated with pulling than with pushing in the LFC. The lower efficiency may also have resulted from the arbitrary choice of spring constant, as well as viscoelastic losses in the elastic bands. The user experienced much higher fatigue in the traditional LFC, primarily in the latter half of the 887 meter course, suggesting that in spite of the current decreases in efficiency, the spring system could add value by allowing users the option to travel longer distances.</Abstract>
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