IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,311,223
Granted Patent B2
US 12,311,223 · App. 18/372,597 · Granted May 27, 2025

Rowing system and method

Inventors: Bruce Smith (Cambridge, MA); Chris Paul (Lincoln, MA); Christopher Evans (Amherst, NH); Gerhard Pawelka (Lexington, MA); William Burke (San Francisco, CA); Harald Quintus-Bosz (Sudbury, MA); Klaus Renner (Hollis, NH)
Assignee: Hydrow, Inc.
A63B22/0076A63B21/0051A63B21/0057A63B22/0087A63B24/0087A63B2022/0079
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,311,223
App. No.
18/372,597
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Among other things, a rowing technology includes a first rowing machine having an electromagnetic brake providing a resistance to a rower of the machine in each rowing stroke of a series of rowing strokes of the rower An electronic controller causes the resistance of the electromagnetic brake to vary over each rowing stroke in a profile that emulates resistance to which another rower in a shell on water or on a second rowing machine is subjected in each rowing stroke of a corresponding series of rowing strokes.

Claims (30)

1. A rowing machine, comprising:

a seat slidably mounted on a longitudinal rail;

a rowing handle;

an extended flexible element connected to the rowing handle to drive rotation of a magnetic resistance system;

a sensor in or the longitudinal rail,

wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of a speed of the seat, a direction of movement of the seat, an acceleration of the seat, or a position of the seat; and

a computing system configured to:

determine a suggestion to improve a rowing form of a user of the rowing machine based on the at least one of the speed of the seat, the direction of movement of the seat, the acceleration of the seat, or the position of the seat, and

present the suggestion on a display.

2. The rowing machine of claim 1 , comprising a second sensor in the rowing handle, the second sensor configured to detect at least one of a speed of the rowing handle, a direction of movement of the rowing handle, an acceleration of the rowing handle, or a position of the rowing handle.

3. The rowing machine of claim 1 , comprising a second sensor in the seat, wherein second the sensor is configured to detect a weight of a rower sitting on the seat.

4. The rowing machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is mounted externally on the longitudinal rail.

5. The rowing machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is located internally within a body of the longitudinal rail.

6. The rowing machine of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal rail comprises a marking to aid the sensor in detecting the at least one of the speed of the seat, the direction of movement of the seat, the acceleration of the seat, or the position of the seat.

7. The rowing machine of claim 6 , wherein the marking comprises a notch or an etching.

8. The rowing machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a footrest, and

a second sensor on the footrest, the second sensor configured to measure a contribution of a leg of a user of the rowing machine to a power stroke.

9. The rowing machine of claim 1 , wherein presenting the suggestion comprises presenting the suggestion as an overlay.

10. The rowing machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

11. A method, comprising:

collecting sensor data from a sensor in or on a rail of a rowing machine, wherein a seat of the rowing machine is configured to slide along the rail, and wherein the sensor data is indicative of at least one of a speed of the seat, a direction of movement of the seat, an acceleration of the seat, or a position of the seat during a series of strokes;

presenting, on a presentation device of a user of the rowing machine, a rower interface comprising a video presentation of a rower on water, wherein movement of the rower in the video presentation corresponds to movement of the user during the series of strokes;

determining, a suggestion to improve a rowing form of the user based on the at least one of the speed of the seat, the direction of movement of the seat, the acceleration of the seat, or the position of the seat; and

presenting the suggestion as an overlay on the presentation device.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising collecting sensor data indicative of movement of a rowing handle of the rowing machine.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is mounted externally on the rail.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is located internally within a body of the rail.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising collecting sensor data from a sensor in a rowing handle of the rowing machine.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rowing machine includes the presentation device.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2023
From: EVANS, CHRISTOPHER; PAWELKA, GERHARD; BURKE, WILLIAM; QUINTUS-BOSZ, HARALD; RENNER, KLAUS
To: COOPER PERKINS, INC.
Reel/Frame 065017/0467 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2023
From: COOPER PERKINS, INC.
To: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
Reel/Frame 065017/0552 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2023
From: SMITH, BRUCE; PAUL, CHRIS
To: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
Reel/Frame 065017/0656 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 25, 2023
From: CREW BY TRUE ROWING, INC.
To: HYDROW, INC.
Reel/Frame 065023/0007 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17470846 · Sep 9, 2021
Continuation 16588385 · Sep 30, 2019
Continuation 15981834 · May 16, 2018
Related Publication 20240082629A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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