RowPerfect
Encyclopedia
A Rowperfect is an indoor rowing machine designed in 1987; patented in 1988, by Dutchman Cas Rekers. It is designed to accurately simulate the feeling of rowing
on the water
. Both the flywheel
and the seat are free to move on a slide — this is different from the majority of rowing machines where the flywheel is fixed and only the seat moves. Its mass and movement are balanced and engineered to enable rowing technique to be learned and refined. This is called a "floating head" rowing simulator: the other type is called a "fixed head" ergometer.
The result is that the flywheel moves towards the rower on the recovery in an attempt to mimic the on-water experience of the boat moving under the rower more accurately. The Rowperfect is also unusual in offering a limited tilt seat (it wobbles) which forces the rower to consider his or her weight distribution during the stroke and recovery.
The Rowperfect is attached to a computer
or a monitor on the RP for readouts of output power
, time, rating, meters etc. The display also features a sensitive force-time curve graph showing how much force is being applied throughout the rowing stroke. This can be used to help all members of crew to work towards the same profile so they all move the boat together. Outputs are calibrated to athlete weight, sex and boat class and give readings aligned to on-water times for skilled athletes.
The sale of Rowperfect to Australian investors in 2005 appears to mark the beginning of a potential renaissance for Rowperfect. The software and hardware have been updated, and recent enthusiastic websites suggest marketing support not recently seen. Recent innovations have seen the adoption of a machine mounted monitor (MKIV) similar to that sported by the latest Concept2 models, Windows software and a touch-screen display. Older machines rely on a serial connection for communication of stroke data to a PC.
A new model was demonstrated in Seattle USA on 12–13 August 2006 which has radically adjusted the fly wheel, reduced noise and improved aesthetics.
Rowperfect machines are regarded as less robust than Concept2
's, but can be useful for the very detailed information available via the computer link.
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
on the water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Both the flywheel
Flywheel
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia, and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed...
and the seat are free to move on a slide — this is different from the majority of rowing machines where the flywheel is fixed and only the seat moves. Its mass and movement are balanced and engineered to enable rowing technique to be learned and refined. This is called a "floating head" rowing simulator: the other type is called a "fixed head" ergometer.
The result is that the flywheel moves towards the rower on the recovery in an attempt to mimic the on-water experience of the boat moving under the rower more accurately. The Rowperfect is also unusual in offering a limited tilt seat (it wobbles) which forces the rower to consider his or her weight distribution during the stroke and recovery.
The Rowperfect is attached to a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
or a monitor on the RP for readouts of output power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
, time, rating, meters etc. The display also features a sensitive force-time curve graph showing how much force is being applied throughout the rowing stroke. This can be used to help all members of crew to work towards the same profile so they all move the boat together. Outputs are calibrated to athlete weight, sex and boat class and give readings aligned to on-water times for skilled athletes.
The sale of Rowperfect to Australian investors in 2005 appears to mark the beginning of a potential renaissance for Rowperfect. The software and hardware have been updated, and recent enthusiastic websites suggest marketing support not recently seen. Recent innovations have seen the adoption of a machine mounted monitor (MKIV) similar to that sported by the latest Concept2 models, Windows software and a touch-screen display. Older machines rely on a serial connection for communication of stroke data to a PC.
A new model was demonstrated in Seattle USA on 12–13 August 2006 which has radically adjusted the fly wheel, reduced noise and improved aesthetics.
Rowperfect machines are regarded as less robust than Concept2
Concept2
Concept2 is a manufacturer of rowing equipment based in Vermont, USA. It is best known for its air resistance indoor rowing machines , which are considered the standard training and testing machines for competition rowers and can be found in most gyms...
's, but can be useful for the very detailed information available via the computer link.