Orpheus: Revolutionizing Space Fitness

Exoskeletal Exercise Device Designed for Astronauts

Mehmet E. Ergül's inspiration for Orpheus came from the movements of ballet dancers and aerial performers, whose graceful forms and body positions closely resemble the movements of astronauts in orbit. The design also takes inspiration from exoskeletons, both in form and technology, to achieve the perfect product-user relationship in terms of ergonomics.

What sets Orpheus apart from other designs is its superior improvements over the currently used exercise equipment at the International Space Station (ISS), Ared. Orpheus is designed with today's technology to create the best user-product relationship, while reducing the current mass and volume of the product, making for a more efficient use of space inside the spacecraft.

The device is essentially an exoskeleton that the user wears. This design approach ensures excellent user-product consistency. A significant advantage of Orpheus is its volume, which is approximately 75% less than that of Ared. The joints of the product feature electronic motors and a gearbox attached to the motor, with the body parts made from a combination of aluminum structure and carbon-fiber parts.

The operation of Orpheus is managed by software that stores all the results of the astronauts' exercises. Depending on the exercise program and the user, the device adapts its properties, such as resistance and fit to the body. The user performs the exercise while the device provides the appropriate resistive force to the muscles.

The design process for Orpheus began as a graduation project in February 2016 and has since been exhibited at several events, including Design Week Turkey and Turkey Research & Development and Innovation Week. The research period for the project started with articles about Ared, then continued with analyzing other exoskeleton devices on the market. Data was collected from several people working in the cybernetics, prosthesis, and fitness industries. The results were combined in CAD models and simulations.

Orpheus is an exercise device designed for the International Space Station and future spacecraft. As an exoskeleton, the design is the combination of "modern" and "all-purpose". The product has been designed with today’s technology to create the optimal user/product relationship. Orpheus, evolved with the idea that the only pivot point on the outer space is the human body, allows the user to use the limited interior space available on space vehicles in the most efficient way. The product offers light and flexible usage variations for the astronauts during their missions.

Orpheus has been recognized for its innovative design, winning the Golden A' Cybernetics, Prosthesis and Implant Design Award in 2017. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.