Experimental demonstration of an actuated exercise machine

Experimental results are obtained for a single degree of freedom prototype next generation exercise machine that aims to maximize the user´s power output and ensure passivity with the user. In an effort to optimize the user´s power expenditure, the desired velocity trajectory is developed that seeks the unknown user-dependent optimal velocity setpoint. A numerical extremum-seeking algorithm is utilized to seek the optimal velocity setpoint while ensuring the trajectory is sufficiently differentiable. To track the reference trajectory and to ensure passivity, a nonlinear controller is utilized.