Tag Archives: exercise bicycle

This portable microgrid in a box combines human and solar energy, creating a source of renewable energy!

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I’m all for alternative sources of energy, but a portable microgrid in a box, that combines human and solar energy? That’s the first I’ve heard of it, but that’s what mySUN promises to be!

If there’s one thing that COVID -19 has taught us, it’s that we cannot take life as we know it, and our world for granted. Because things can change within seconds, and without any warning. Protecting, preserving, and taking the utmost care of Mother Earth should be our number one priority now. And one way of doing this is taking climate change seriously, and truly combating it! WZMH Architects is invested in creating smart energy solutions to face climate change head-on, and reduce the need for fossil fuels. One of their super cool inventions is mySUN! It’s basically a microgrid in a little box, run on a bike! WZMH Architects teamed up with Ryerson University to create this “personal green energy-producing machine”. mySUN can be used to power and support almost everything – from LED lighting to mobile devices, and even air conditioning units.

This sustainable energy producer basically depends upon a plug-and-play system. The system works perfectly with WZHM Architects’ Sunrider bike (a solar bike). You connect mySUN to the bike, and generate your energy, as you ride the bike! The energy is created via biomechanical power and is even stored. Since an average person generates almost 100 to 150 watts of power while riding a stationary bike, by combining mySUN to the Sunrider bike, you can produce enough energy to power the lights of a 300-square-foot space for a whole day! How cool is that? It’s the perfect combination of human and solar energy!

The portable voltage DC box is small enough to fit into the walls of an apartment.  Zenon Radewych, Principal at WZMH said, “The mySUN can be integrated into a community of buildings that are DC-based, all feeding from the same DC microgrid. Green energy is then created through the use of solar panels, wind turbines, or energy bikes, and is stored in battery packs that are part of mySUN.”

Imagine the potential of such a creation! mySUN could be used to power entire apartment complexes and buildings, without having to set up complicated and huge electrical plants. There would be no need for copper wiring in buildings as well! Hundreds of mySUNs could be set up to generate sustainable energy and power whole communities.

Inventions like mySUN can drastically reduce our carbon footprint and provide alternative sources of energy that are renewable and economical. In a world that is truly trying to become more sustainable and greener, innovations like mySUN are a Godsend!

Designer: WZMH Architects

This exercise bike’s minimal aesthetics means it looks good even when not in use!

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Fitness is paramount in current uncertain times where work from home is the only way to keep yourself and loved ones safe. That comes with a caveat though – restricted physical activity. Even though you have all the fancy home exercise equipment you tend to get bored of it and overtime ditch it altogether. Take the exercise bike for reference – with passing time it becomes more of a cloth hanger defeating the whole purpose of buying one! So how about an exercise bicycle which will keep you engaged to work out more, and when not in use, can be sported as an attractive living room installation?

Shard Exercycle designed by Analogy Design is crafted in a way that focuses more on aesthetics and function rather than the statistics that are displayed upfront. The brass metal outer frame encapsulates the fiberglass body which has the pedals, handlebar, and a seat to give the bike a pleasing form factor, one that you would actually want to flaunt. According to Arun Kumar, the lead product designer at Analogy, “The challenge here was to bring about a sculptural quality in the product using the right materials but also maintaining a balance between both the physical and digital experiences of the product.” The design phase of the bike was centered on ergonomic comfort and the flexibility to fit people of different heights and body measurements. Once that was sorted the design team proceeded with the layout of biofeedback interactions to light up the whole body that conveys the workout intensity in real-time. Combine that with the heart rate and speed sensors built-in, Shard Exercycle communicates the data with the compatible app to do all the fancy analysis.

The bicycle app gives the users plethora of options to make the exercise routine engaging – the likes of competing with your friends or improving on your previous personal records. You can also tweak the fitness routine with multiple modes in the menu options. Even better when you are not working out, the machine can turn into an art installation – syncing with the mood lights or smart speakers to flow with the tunes of music!

Designer: Analogy Design

Cardio made compact!

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The Tight Space Exercise Bike (i’m not particularly sold on the name) fits gym equipment into the dead space beneath your bed. Its slim profile allows it to slide into tight spaces in the wardrobe, or even under your bed (unless you need that space to hide from bad guys and movie villains). Slide it out and with just a couple of unfolds, it becomes a stationary bicycle that you can work out on! The cycle unfortunately doesn’t come with handles, but it comes with an EVA foam saddle that’s height adjustable, four foldable legs that give it stability and keep it upright, and even a knob for adjusting the tension on the foot-paddles (with 8 difficulty settings) depending on the intensity of your work-out.

With cities becoming denser, and homes becoming smaller, the Tight Space Exercise Bicycle (really don’t like that name!) is great for tiny studio apartments because it fits a great deal of usefulness into a footprint of two large pizza boxes. Or maybe that isn’t the best comparison. 😛

Designer: Hammacher Schlemmer

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