Design of recreational vehicles for young and adult people as an alternative to physical activation in open spaces

Abstract

Physical activity is an outstanding factor for daily life since it helps to maintain the physiological func- tions of the body, granting the possibility of increasing physical and mental health. Recreational vehicles of human propulsion are an alternative for skeletal muscle and cardiovascular system activation with the particularity of improving the system while enjoying the activity. This chapter presents an analysis of the problems of sedentary lifestyle to propose a user-focused alternative that meets the necessary requirements for healthy energy consumption. A prototype was designed and built to verify the metabolic expenditure through a telemetry equipment and another survey was applied to validate functional and user acceptance aspects. The results of the tests showed an average energy consumption of 50.2 kcal/ min (Almost 6 METS) placing the prototype in a suitable range to perform physical activation. Finally, the resulting vehicle was cataloged by users as creative and attractive to be used in the future.