Industrial Design Barriers
An upper body ergometer (arm bike) is an exercise machine that’s designed to give the user a low impact cardiovascular workout without using their lower body. It allows users to get an effective workout using only their upper body, enabling an increase blood flow, strengthening muscles, preventing stiffness, and improving their cardiovascular health.
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Although arm bikes are usually found in rehabilitation centres, they are showing up more regularly in standard fitness centres as a useful cross-training alternative to a regular exercise routine. Many individuals who have trouble using their lower body due to paralysis or injury may turn to the arm bike for an alternative workout.
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In order to use an arm bike, the user sits in a seat in front of the machine. They grip the handles and cycle their hands in a circular motion around an axle at the centre of the arm bike.
Although the motion is simple and the exercise is straightforward, the arm bike creates a multitude of accessibility barriers for individuals with paralysis that affects their ability to grip the bike’s handles. These individuals are not able to securely grasp the handles, which often prevents them from utilizing these machines. This was our motivation to design the Bike Buddy, a product that improves accessibility by enhancing independence with a more secure method of utilizing an arm bike machine.
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Other exercise machines, such as upper body exercisers or standard rehabilitation steppers, also require a strong grip on support handles. These devices could be made more accessible when paired with the Bike Buddy to promote a more efficient and safer workout.
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Without the Bike Buddy, these barriers force users to improvise and create their own support systems to improve their handle grip. Our client, Ryan, who inspired this project, would have a volunteer attach his hands to the bike handles using tensor bandages. This method was not effective, as the tensor bandages would become loose and Ryan would have to ask for assistance many times each workout session.
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Therefore, the Bike Buddy was designed to provide a simple and comfortable method of strapping his hands to the handles to keep them securely in place.
Needs of Users With Disabilities
The Bike Buddy was designed specifically for quadriplegic individuals who have very little motor movement from the neck down and are unable to securely grip the handle of an arm bike. However, any individual who needs more support in gripping a handle or bar could benefit from the Bike Buddy. It was designed to be a versatile product which can attach to varying handle sizes and is adjustable for each user.
There were many factors which were considered in creating the Bike Buddy in order to meet the needs of the targeted demographic of our product. When developing the product, requirements such as comfort, ease of use and security were of the highest priority. Since the users of the Bike Buddy will likely have little motor movement, this presents the difficulty of gripping the handle of the exercise machine. Therefore, the product must provide a secure method of attaching the individual’s hand to the handle of an arm bike or other exercise equipment, while also being comfortable and easy to manipulate for the user.
Although the bike buddy was specifically made for attachment to an arm bike, the product could be used for any machine which requires a strong grip on a handle. We recognise that specifically for individuals experiencing paralysis, exercise is very important in their daily lives. Whether it be physiotherapy, assisted training, or using an arm bike, exercise is vital for maintaining their physical state and preventing additional health concerns, such as muscle atrophy or bone loss from occurring. By eliminating issues regarding gripping the handles of exercise machines, it provides quadriplegic individuals with more freedom when planning their workout routines in order to improve their health.
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