Boost Treadmills cofounder Sean Whalen runs on the Boost 2. The treadmill uses air pressure to counter gravity, making running possible for people with injuries and other conditions.
Credit: Boost Treadmills LLC
The antigravity treadmill, which has benefits in space and on Earth, was
pioneered by Robert Whalen at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley,
California, in the 1980s and ’90s.
Whalen built a system that placed a
pressurized bulb over the user’s upper body, creating downward pressure that
could simulate gravity for astronauts running on a treadmill in space. With
support from Ames, he prototyped a treadmill in his garage that reversed the
concept, with the bubble enclosing the user from the waist down to create lift.
He thought the system could help patients rehabilitate.
Years later, his son recalled the
prototype in the garage and turned it into the AlterG concept. The AlterG
treadmill, which uses air pressure to take weight off the user, had proven
popular with professional sports teams and rehabilitation clinics, but Whalen
and his friends wanted to make it affordable enough for home use, so they
founded Boost Treadmills in 2017.
Now Boost, based in Palo Alto,
California, has cut the price of an antigravity treadmill by almost two thirds.
In 2022, the company released the Boost 2, which is quieter and more
energy-efficient than its predecessor, among other improvements. The Boost 2
has roughly tripled sales to individuals, progressing on the company’s goal of
moving into the home.
Offloading weight during exercise
is a clear solution for patients whose injuries prevent them from walking or
running at their full weight, but Boost says it can be equally valuable for
people with long-term mobility impairments, such as obesity or arthritis.
Advanced through NASA, the antigravity treadmill is one of many space-inspired technologies benefitting life on Earth.
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