Exercise Equipment

The Treadmill with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (TVIS) was designed and constructed by NASA and currently is utilized on the International Space Station (ISS) for exercise countermeasures. The belt consists of 160 1.3 cm aluminum slats suspended across two parallel sets of 25 roller bearings and wrapped around the front and rear drums of the treadmill. The running surface is 33 cm (13 in) wide and 112 cm (44 in) long. The treadmill can be operated in the motorized or non-motorized modes. In the motorized mode, the belt speed is adjustable from 0.0 to 16 km·h-1 (0.1 to 10.0 mph) in 0.16 km·h-1 (0.1 mph) increments. In the non-motorized mode, the belt speed is dependent upon the effort provided by the exerciser, and the resistance to belt motion can be manipulated with a braking system.

On orbit, the crewmember wears a shoulder and waist harness and is pulled to the treadmill surface using either metal cables attached to pre-loaded springs or bungee cords. On the ISS, the TVIS is suspended within an opening in the floor and allows limited movement in six degrees of motion. Movement of the TVIS is counteracted with active (gyroscope) and passive (wire ropes) vibration isolation systems. These systems are intended to minimize the dynamic forces of exercise being transferred to the structure of the ISS Service Module, while maintaining a relatively stable exercise surface.