Abstract: A plant raising apparatus: a light source that emits light traveling toward an aboveground part of a plant; a heat insulating portion that has a light transmitting property and that partitions a space at a side of the light source and a space at a side of the aboveground part; and an air blowing mechanism that generates an airflow at a space between the light source and the heat insulating portion. Thereby, it is suppressed that the heat of high temperature air staying above the heat insulating portion having a light transmitting property adversely affects the plant.

Abstract: A housing is adapted to be placed on a floor and is provided on its top face with a left foot support 2a and a right foot supports 2b respectively bearing left and right feet of a user. A drive unit 3 is provided to displace the left and right foot supports 2a and 2b in a mutually linked manner. The drive unit 3 is configured to reciprocate the left and right foot supports 2a and 2b in a forward/rearward direction respectively along individual travel paths La, Lb, while varying a lateral distance between said left and right foot supports with regard to representative points of the left and right foot supports. The lateral distance between forward ends of the travel paths is made greater than the lateral distance between rearward ends of the travel paths.

Abstract: A leg training equipment has a base fixed in place, a support portion configured to support a part of a user's body, and a coupling mechanism provided between the base and the support portion. The coupling mechanism movably couples the support portion to the base such that a load applied to a leg of the user by the user's own weight changes by a relative positional displacement between a foot position and a position of center of gravity of the user. In addition, the coupling mechanism limits a movable direction of the support portion such that at least when the load applied to the leg increases, a direction of the relative positional displacement between the foot position and the position of center of gravity is substantially limited to a direction of flexion and extension of knee joint. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently provide the user with an exercise that applies less load on the knee joint.

Abstract: A drive device has a motor for generating a drive force, a power transmission unit for transmitting the force generated by the motor to first and second foot support tables, thereby moving the foot support tables, and a control unit for controlling the motor. The power transmission unit is connected to an output shaft of the motor. The power transmission unit has a left foot reciprocation mechanism for reciprocating a left foot support table, a right foot reciprocation mechanism for reciprocating a right foot support table, and a power divergence unit for diverging the force of the motor into the reciprocation mechanisms and transmitting the force thereto. The power transmission unit alternately transmits the rotation force of the motor to the left and right foot support tables, thereby causing the left and right foot support tables to alternately move in a forward and backward direction in increments of one reciprocation.

Abstract: Exercise aiding apparatus includes a step 2 that a user puts a user's foot on, and a step drive means 5 that causes the step to perform movement including turning motion so that exercise is performed with respect to the foot put on the step. The apparatus includes a lock means 6 that fixes the step by engagement with the step except when the step drive means 5 drives the step. When the step is not driven, the step is fixed. The step is prevented from moving inadvertently at getting on and off, thereby ensuring safe getting on and off.

Abstract: A saddle for an exercise equipment for allowing a user to perform an exercise in a sitting posture is provided, which has the capability of suppressing variations in sitting posture to achieve stable exercise effects. The exercise equipment has a base, the saddle for supporting the user's buttocks, and a coupling mechanism configured to movably couple the saddle to the base such that a load acted on a leg by the user's own weight varies according to a relative positional displacement between a foot position and a position of center of gravity of the user, and also configured to limit a movable direction of the saddle such that a direction of the relative positional displacement between the foot position and the position of center of gravity is limited to a direction of flexion and extension of knee joint. The saddle has a pair of curved recesses at its outer periphery, which are configured such that parts of the femoral regions of the user fit the recesses.

Abstract: An exercise assisting device comprises foot supports having foot support surfaces respectively, a seat, a seat height adjusting unit, and a seat driving unit. The foot support is provided for bearing foot of a user. The seat is shaped to have a contact surface for supporting buttocks of the user when the user places the feet onto the foot support surfaces. The seat height adjusting unit is configured to move the seat toward a vertical direction and also toward a front-back direction in order to position the seat at a standard position which is located at a standard height from the foot support surface in the vertical direction. Consequently, a knee of the user has a predetermined angle. The seat driving unit is configured to swing the seat about the standard position so as to vary weight of the user which acts on legs of the user. The exercise assisting device further comprises a load regulating means.

Abstract: The invention has an object of providing an exercise assisting device which allows the user's thigh to contract while having a simple structure with low manufacturing cost. The device comprising a seat member and a seat drive unit. The seat member has a bearing surface configured to support buttocks of a user with one' feet placed on a predetermined foot rest. The seat drive unit is configured to activate a driving source to displace the seat member in such a manner as to vary a user's own weight acting on legs of the user. The seat drive unit swings the seat member at least along a lateral direction.

Abstract: A sensor unit installed in a premises for detecting a user's walking behavior. Connected to the server through a communication network are a server, an information reporting unit, and an exercise machine. The server includes a diagnosis section for analyzing time series data of walking signal from the sensor unit to determine walking ability and generate walking ability data indicative thereof, and an information providing section which provides the walking ability date to the information reporting unit and the exercise machine. The information reporting unit includes reporting means for reporting the determined walking ability to the user. The exercise machine includes a control section which gives an exercise to the user depending upon the walking ability.

Abstract: This invention has an object to provide a passive exercise apparatus which is driven to help user to stretch and contract various muscles of his/her feet by a driving force generated at a driving unit while not lowering positive effects in his/her exercise. This passive exercise apparatus in the present invention comprises a left foot support 2a, a right foot support 2b, a driving unit 3, and a motion pattern modifying means 6. The left foot support and the right foot support are provided to support user's left foot and right foot respectively. The driving unit is configured to give a reciprocatory motion along a predetermined path to each of the left foot support and the right foot support according to a predetermined motion pattern defined by frequency, phase, and amplitude of the reciprocatory motion. The motion pattern modifying means is configured to modify at least one of the frequency, the phase, and the amplitude.

Abstract: The invention allows a user to exercise effectively. A desired exercise effect is not obtained when the user puts too much weight onto a seat. To prevent this, an exercise assist device comprises a limit switch that detects whether a predetermined load (weight) is applied to foot rests, i.e., whether the user steps on the foot rests properly and exercises successfully. A control circuit controls a drive device for swinging the seat; obtains the number of successes relative to the total number of swings, and a success rate, based on detection results by the limit switch; displays the number of successes and the success rate on a display panel, and controls the rotational speed of a motor via a motor control circuit. As a result, the device determines automatically the degree of exercise proficiency of the user, and allows the user to exercise effectively in accordance with his/her degree of the proficiency.

Abstract: An exercise aid device has a hip supporting member movable relative to a base, footrests movable relative to the base, drive means for driving the hip supporting member, body constitution estimating unit for estimating at least one of fat mass and muscle mass of a user, and a controller for the drive means. The controller controls the drive means such that a load acting on a femoral region by own weight of the user supported on the hip supporting member changes according to a relative positional displacement between the user's toe and trochanter major, the positional displacement is allowed in a direction of flexion and extension of knee joint of the user, and an angle of the knee joint is maintained substantially constant. In addition, since the controller controls the drive means by use of an output of the body constitution estimating unit, it is possible to provide an exercise with less burden to the knee joint and a suitable strength for the user.

Abstract: A simulator obtains muscle activities and joint contact forces by a computer simulation according to an operating condition for moving a support base of a passive exercise machine. A condition limiting unit finds intermediate conditions corresponding to desirable muscle activities and joint contact forces from muscle activities and joint contact forces obtained with the simulator according to different operating conditions. A motion simulator moves the support base according to the intermediate conditions. A myoelectric measurement device measures myoelectric potential of a subject supported by the support base. An evaluation device selects an operating condition corresponding to a larger muscle activity quantity from measurement results of muscle activity to define it as an operating condition of the passive exercise machine.

Abstract: An exercise assisting apparatus includes a seat supporting buttocks and a foot base supporting the bottom of the feet, and is arranged to swing the seat for contracting leg muscles. An elevator mechanism regulates a position of the seat. A display and manipulator unit has a physique designating section providing a plurality of classes classified according to the user's height, and a moving direction instructing section with pushbuttons instructing the moving direction of the elevator mechanism. The elevator mechanism is controlled by an elevator controller, and includes a position adjusting section configured to read out a position of the elevator mechanism corresponding to the physique designated at the physique designating section for rough adjustment of the position of the elevator mechanism and a position modifying section configured to make a precise adjustment of the position of the elevator mechanism while the moving direction instructing section is manipulated.

Abstract: An exercise assisting apparatus has a seat with a contact surface of which position is varied within an adjustable range defined by a user's physique in order to successfully adjust the user's knee at a desired bent angle irrespective of the user's height. The seat 21 bears the buttock of the user M with the user's feet resting on a foot supporting surface on top of a foot stand 40. The seat 21 is displaced by a seat driver 50 with a motor in a direction of varying the user's weight acting on the legs of the user M. The seat 21 is driven by an elevator mechanism 60 to move up and down together with the seat driver 50. The elevator mechanism 60 moves the seat 21 in a direction which is restricted to a line inclined rearwardly and upwardly with respect to a vertical direction and deducted by a user of maximum physique and a user of minimum physique.

Abstract: An exercise device with which a user can train a sense of balance and muscles effectively, even the user is accustomed to exercise in certain degree is provided. The exercise device comprises: a support part 2 which has a support surface 1 on which a user M can put user's body, and which can rock within a prescribed range; and an external force exerting part 15 configured to rock the support part 2 within the prescribed range by exerting an external force on the support part 2 through the user M whose body is supported on the support surface 1.

Abstract: An exercise equipment comprises a movable portion 7 for supporting a user, a driving means for driving the movable portion 7. Further the exercise equipment comprises a stimulus means 87, detectors 86, 88, and a judgment means C2. The stimulus means 87 is configured to apply an informational stimulus to the user supported by the movable portion 7. The detectors 86, 88 detect a motion of the user supported by the movable portion. The judgment means C2 is configured to perform a judgment based on outputs from the stimulus means and the detector. Therefore, the exercise equipment can provide the user with both of effective passive and active exercises.

Abstract: An exercise assisting device comprising a left step and a right step for bearing user's feet, respectively, a step driving means configured to provide a reciprocating slide motion of reciprocating and sliding the steps forward-rearward and leftward-rightward, the step driving means configured to vary a height of a front end of each the steps relative to a height of a rear end of each the steps in synchronization with the reciprocating slide motion, the step driving means configured to provide the reciprocating slide motion to each the step such that the steps travel along paths, respectively, the paths extend in non-parallel relation with each other such that the paths are laterally spaced by a distance which is different from one end to the other end of the path which gives a reciprocating slide stroke of the steps.

Abstract: An exercise assisting device comprises steps, a step driving means, and a movable range variation means. The steps are provided for bearing the user's feet, respectively. The step driving means is configured to move the steps so as to provide the exercise to the feet on the steps. The movable range variation means is configured to expand a movable range of the steps according to weight applied to the steps, whereby an additional movable range is added to the movable range, said movable range is determined by the step driving means. The movable range variation means is configured to generate resistive force when the steps are located in the additional movable range. The movable range variation means is configured to apply the resistive force to the steps such that the resistive force cancels the weight applied to the steps.

Abstract: Exercise aiding apparatus includes a step 2 that a user puts a user's foot on, and a step drive means 5 that causes the step to perform movement including turning motion so that exercise is performed with respect to the foot put on the step. The apparatus includes a lock means 6 that fixes the step by engagement with the step except when the step drive means 5 drives the step. When the step is not driven, the step is fixed. The step is prevented from moving inadvertently at getting on and off, thereby ensuring safe getting on and off.