Australian company Run4 has launched a piece of fitness gear designed to prevent running injuries that works like a bicycle and cross-trainer hybrid .
The Bionic Runner was developed to mimic the gait and timing of organic running, but get rid of the influence of jogging on difficult surfaces that may cause injury.
“The vision of an injury-free of charge running neighborhood is a single step closer,” said a statement from Run4.
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It works like an elliptical trainer on two wheels, but the pedalling motion has been adapted to far better emulate the movement of legs whilst running on the ground.
Feet are placed on plates that the user pushes forward with their legs. The movements energy a cog and chain mechanism, which turns the back wheel and drives the gear forward – much like pedalling a bicycle.
To preserve the rider steady, fixed handlebars are raised to a comfy height for holding in a standing position.
This technique of working out is designed to avert awkward foot strides and over-extension of the limbs, common causes of operating afflictions.
“4 years ago, our vision for an injury-free operating community led us to design and develop the Bionic Runner – the world’s only higher intensity, non-influence, running-specific trainer,” said Run4 co-founder Steve Cranitch.
“Every bit as hard as running, yet with out the risk of injury, we think the Bionic Runner will modify the way athletes and amateur runners think about their training.”
Run4 researched runner’s movements so they could design the bike’s kinetic components to imitate running motions and engage the very same muscle tissues.
“We found that running was a four stage procedure of leap, recovery, impact and drive,” said Henry Thomas, Run4’s other co-founder. “The existing cross trainers were all elliptical in nature or step machines. None captured the motion a runner’s leg tends to make when they move.”
“Unlike an elliptical trainer, the Bionic Runner has a exclusive patent-pending 60 per cent swing and 40 per cent stance phase timing, which guides the foot along the path of a mid-foot operating gait.”
The equipment incorporates a pedal reaction force that kicks in as the toe pushes off, driving the rider’s hips into the air and simulating the moment when each feet are off the ground.
Brake levers are added to the handlebars to slow and cease the trainer when necessary.
The Bionic Runner has smashed its AU\$40,000 (£21,000) funding purpose on crowdsourcing platform Kickstarter, raising more than AU\$164,000 (£86,000) with 18 days of the campaign still remaining.
