Electromechanical physical resistance device

An exercise machine, comprising:

• at least one stage;
• at least one payload carriage;
• at least one accessory union;
• at least one sensor;
• at least one HMI;
• at least one processor;
• and at least one controller, and wherein said at least one payload carriage is movably affixed to said at least one stage, said at least one stage itself comprising a way or rail mechanism to constrain the motion of the at least one payload carriage along a desired path or a surface and at least one driver mechanism to control the motion of said payload carriage within said desired path or a surface, wherein said accessory union is securably affixed to the at least one payload carriage, wherein the at least one sensor comprises means for detecting or mathematically inferring any one or more of the position, velocity, acceleration, and force at or near the position of the at least one accessory union, wherein said HMI comprises means to accept input instructions from a user and to transmit said input instructions to said processor, wherein said processor comprises means to receive said input instructions from said HMI, to received data from the at least one sensor, to process said data, and to output instructions based on said processed data, and wherein said controller comprises means to receive said output instructions from the at least one processor and to utilize said instructions to control any one or both of the position of said payload carriage and the force profile of said payload carriage being applied to a user of said exercise machine;
• and
• an exercise accessory removably affixed to the at least one accessory union.

A method for controlling the operation of an exercise machine comprising:

• accepting certain input instructions from a user via an HMI device;
• transmitting said input instructions to a processor;
• receiving said input instructions from the HMI into the processor;
• constraining the motion of at least one payload carriage carrying an accessory union with a removably affixed exercise accessory along a desired path or surface;
• controlling the motion of said payload carriage within set desired path or surface with a driver mechanism;
• sensing data comprising any one or more of the position, velocity, acceleration, and force of the payload carriage at or near the position of the accessory union;
• receiving said sensed data into the processor;
• processing said data, outputting instructions based on said processed data to a controller;
• receiving said output instructions into a controller;
• and utilizing said instructions to control any one or both of the position of the payload carriage and the force profile of said payload carriage being applied to a user of said exercise machine.

An exercise machine comprising:

• a stage, the stage having a planar configuration and a frame;
• a payload carriage attached to and supported on the frame, the payload carriage being movable on the frame in the planar configuration of the stage, the payload carriage being moveable in horizontal movements relative to the frame and in vertical movements relative to the frame;
• an accessory union on the payload carriage;
• and
• an exercise accessory, the exercise accessory being removably attachable to the accessory union with the exercise accessory removably attached to the accessory union being movable relative to the payload carriage.