Technology

“I’ve tried one before”

This is a common reply I get when I ask someone if they would like to try a machine when attending a trade show or exhibition with a WBV machine. Having been in this industry for over 10 years, I have come to know that most people who say this haven’t tried a high energy machine, let alone realize there are different technologies.

So what technologies are there?

There are really only 2 main technologies, and then a handful of lesser known or experimental technologies.

The 2 main technologies are Pivotal and Lineal.

Otherwise known as Tilting, Rotational, See-Saw, Teeter-Totter, Side Alternating, Oscillating, Triangular Oscillating

Otherwise known as Vertical, Uniform, Synchronous, Tri-Planar, 3D, Piston

These 2 technologies cover 99.99% of all scientific evidence. There is no reason why you should consider a machine that uses any other technology type, because it simply does not have the evidence of Pivotal or Lineal technology.

Technology Sub Categories

Within each he 2 main categories, I have created 2 sub-categories.

For Pivotal technology, there is Full Range and Low Frequency.
For Lineal technology, there is Full Range and Low Displacement.

Due to the differences in mechanisms behind these technologies, there are different engineering challenges for each type.

Pivotal Sub-Categories

For Pivotal technology, the engineering challenge comes with high frequency. In the below diagram showing the Galileo design, you will note that when standing on the platform, the load of a users body weight is directly transferred to the motor (tan colour), via a belt. The motor, and all associated components in the driveline, must work a lot harder and have more precise engineering to produce high speeds.

Almost all cheap knock-off Pivotal machines, fail to produce more than 20Hz, most produce frequency of approx 15Hz or less. Therefore, any Pivotal machine that cannot produce both lower than 20Hz and also higher than 20Hz, has been sub-categorized as Low Frequency, and Pivotal machines that can produce both low and high frequency, are sub-categorized as Full Range.

Lineal Sub-Categories

For Lineal technology, the engineering challenge comes with high displacement. In the below diagram showing the typical Lineal design, you will note that when standing on the platform, the load of a users body weight is not transferred to the motor (tan colour), there is no belt from the motor driving the platform. Instead, underneath the spring mounted platform, there are 2 separate motors with weights attached to them, and these weights are spun by the motors to cause the platform to bounce up and down. The weights attached to the motors must be heavy enough to create enough inertia to overcome the resistance of the spring system, and the user on the platform, to create displacement, this requires powerful motors and precise harnessing and balancing of the forces created by the spinning weights.

Almost all cheap knock-off Lineal machines, fail to produce more than 2mm, most produce 1mm or less. Therefore, any Lineal machine that cannot produce both lower than 1mm and also higher than 2mm, has been sub-categorized as Low Displacement, and Lineal machines that can produce both low and high displacement, can sub-categorized as Full Range.

What about dual mode machines?

I have owned, tried and tested several private labelled dual mode machines, and their main problem is that regardless of which mode they are operating in, they cannot produce a full range in either mode. So you have a choice of Low Frequency Pivotal or a choice of Low Displacement Lineal. They simply do not have the specifications in either of the modes, to match high performing brands like Galileo and VibroGym, and therefore you will not get the same benefits.

Additionally, some of them don’t produce both Pivotal and Lineal technology, but instead produce Pivotal and Spiral technology. Spiral vibration is a cheap and simple invention from a Chinese factory, and has no supporting evidence of any benefits. Not only that, but the very small amount of research on Spiral vibration came from the University of Calgary, and it showed that the horizontal direction of Spiral vibration had no effect on the muscles.