Future Technology » Search Results » exercise device

Gruve is A Personal Energy Burning Monitoring System

TheFuture — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:29:37 +0000

Devices that assess power consumption of a house are very much familiar with us. But how many of you have seen a device that measures your body surrounding power consumption? Worrell is a design firm based on Minnesota has designed such a device named Gruve which is a personal energy-burning monitoring system based on Dr Jim Levine’s research. He discovered that it is possible to lose unnecessary weight by being active all through the day which will shut the metabolism down. Gruve is a tri-axial accelerometer that can indicate the progress of an individual against his or her pre-measured metabolism by monitoring the individual’s every movement all through the day.

Text from the website:
Dr. Jim Levine of the Mayo clinic discovered that if people are active throughout the day by being reminded to move or stop being inactive they could keep their metabolism from shutting down and therefore be able to lose unwanted weight. Through his research he strove to better understand the benefits of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and came up with the concept for a wearable device.

He determined the key was a system that could calculate an individual’s metabolic pattern and measure calorie burn throughout a day’s activity and then relay targeted caloric intake to the user. He needed a device that not only monitored and measured an individual’s every movement in a 24-hour period but also prompt the individual to get up and initiate activity before their metabolism slows. The Pelegrin Partners licensed Dr. Levine’s technology and founded the company to take this important weight management opportunity into commercial practice.

Designer : Worrell

mPower : Empowering People to Create Electricity

TheFuture — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:05:36 +0000

Usage of green energy is the top most priority for people who are conscious about their responsibility towards the nature and environment. Keeping this in mind the mPower system has been developed which generates huge energy at minimal effort. The slender body of the device and leaf like tip resembles the structure of a large leaf. The color is green to enhance its organic nature. The steppers at the bottom are also shaped like leaves with the similar designs. Using this unique product you can save the natural resources and a large amount of money spent on electricity at the same time.

mPower consists of 2 units: Generation and Collection.

mPower Generation is a plant-shaped human-powered unit that produces electricity for immediate and future use. Users access their account using fingerprint recognition, stand on two pads at the base of the unit, and shift their weight from one pad to the other every ten seconds. The system, developed to take up the least amount of a user’s time and effort, can be adapted for the handicapped. A small portion of the electricity generated is used to power the interactive touch-screen at the top of the unit, which offers a broad range of informational services pre-customised by each user. The remaining majority of the electricity generated is sent to the city’s main power plant, to be used or stored. At their convenience, users receive payment for the electricity they generated by accessing their account at mPower Collection.

mPower Collection is a unit that, using the same fingerprint recognition technology, distributes payment and allows for account customisation to users of mPower Generation.

mPower taps into our greatest natural resource: people. Rather than expending energy to create more, mPower harnesses the excess energy we generate by providing a platform for individuals and companies to create electricity, make money, and improve lives. By offering payment to individuals, including those that are homeless, in exchange for a few minutes of minimal movement via a free-to-use system available to everyone, economic and environmental sustainability and empowerment is made available by involving citizens in generating what has become one of our most essential needs: electricity.

mPower units are established by electric companies. Businesses pay electric companies to advertise on mPower Generation touch-screens; these ads are geared to individuals who previously expressed interest in particular products/services as per information entered upon account set-up, thus negating . This negates the need for expensive market research, PR and advertising campaigns. Electric companies pay consumers for generating electricity via mPower; these payments are competitive with fees paid by consumers for power provided by the same electric companies.

The base of the unit consists of two pads, each mounted on a hydraulic cylinder. The cylinders are connected by a micro-hydro turbine. When a person steps onto one of the pads, the resulting pressure forces fluid from one cylinder into the other, causing it to rise. The more a person repeats the movement of shifting his/her weight from one pad to the other, the more electricity is generated. This system can be replaced with piezoelectric pads or other technologies as appropriate.

In addition to the exercise users get while generating electricity, they can also benefit from services available on Generation’s interactive network, including news, community events, traffic information, public transportation information, calendar, time, date, music, weather, radio, product and service information, mobile device charging, internet, widgets, city maps, games, phone calling services.

mPower fits into our daily activities and ways of life without disrupting them. Generation and Collection units can be placed on, in, or near streets and pavements, public transportation waiting areas, airports and other areas where waiting is involved, parks and community areas, schools and universities, libraries, common areas in apartment blocks, and countless other places.

The concept of mPower can be modified to fit into homes, casinos, gyms, phone booths, internet cafes, and wherever generated energy can be used as direct power or in exchange for services and products such as climate control, public lighting, charging mobile phones and other devices. Other generation methods can also be implemented, such as walking, pedaling and running, see-sawing, swinging, and using body weight/heat. The possibilities are endless, sustainable, and empowering.

Designer : Sofian Tallal

Exercise at Home with Decathlon Fitness Cube

TheFuture — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:10:42 +0000

The new cubic fitness by Décathlon is an apparatus which is made for all. The device as the name suggests is designed in the shape of a cube and in all one can do about 30 exercises all of which is inside this compact shaped box. Since it is shaped as a cube, it does not account for much space and one can place it any where in the house. It’s an all round exercise machine which has been designed keeping in mind the exercises for all parts of the body. Priced at 149 euros, it’s surely not that expensive to have.

Designer : Decathlon via LeBlogDeco

Fitbit Tracks Your Fitness and Sleep

TheFuture — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:11:40 +0000

Fitbit is a very small device that motivates you to exercise and eat healthier to lead a healthy life. It is wireless, rechargeable and you can hang it easily wherever you want. Fitbit can track information about your activities for example, calories burned and steps taken etc. The collected information is wirelessly uploaded to Fitbit website where the person who is wearing this device can see the data and track his/her progress report. Person can also share data with friends, family and colleagues for healthy competition. Fitbit makes it easy to achieve healthy life.

Designer : Fitbit

Elliptigo Glide Bike

TheFuture — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:07:45 +0000

The “Elliptigo” is the new concept in bicycle designs that combines best aspects of running and cycling in the process creating a fun and effective outdoor exercise device. The overall device is quite innovative and different from the conventional bicycles that we have been used to. The user is in standing position and the pedaling motion is elliptical which is like running without impacting the body. It strengthens bones and muscles and is comfortable and safer compared to sitting and riding the bicycle. Unlike other bike designs, this bike is actually closer to reality. The device has eight different gears which enable a top speed of 25 miles an hour. So if you are in a mood to explore, go cycling!

Designer : ElliptiGo

Sensix Allergy Alert System by Essential Design

TheFuture — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:08:35 +0000

When you have allergy, this device can be pretty handy for you. Sensix is a monitoring and response system for children susceptible to severe allergic reactions. It includes three age-specific monitors that are physically and aesthetically suited to each age group. When an allergic reaction occurs, the monitor alerts parents or caregivers while simultaneously identifying the location of the child and the medicine.

The automated epinephrine injector device is more compact, rugged and convenient than a standard EpiPen. It also notifies users when injectors need to be replaced. The system works in concert with proposed food labeling standards that would use graphical icons and colors on packaging to identify potential allergens before an exposure occurs. Essential, the company that designed Sensix won a bronze International Design Excellence Award for our Sensix Allergy Alert System design concept.

Sensix Tot Monitor

The period of uncertainty that precedes the confirmation of a severe food allergy can be stressful for parents of an infant or toddler, especially when the child begins to attend day care. This body monitor will alert parents and caretakers to any major change in body chemistry through light and audible alarms. A parent applies the monitor to their child via a soft disposable decal to ensure constant skin contact.

Sensix Child Monitor

This wristband is a constant companion for children who are frequently under varied adult supervision. The colored bands identify the wearer’s specific allergies and passively notify others that certain foods may trigger an allergic reaction. The noninvasive blood sensor actively monitors physiological indicators for early signs of a severe anaphylactic episode.

Sensix Teen Monitor

This advanced Sensix model eases the transition to independence for pre-teens and teens who are beginning to make their own decisions about diet and exercise. The detailed display helps build the correlation between symptoms and their associated physiological changes that is critical when managing a severe allergy in adulthood. The aesthetics of the Sensix monitors helps ease the stigma that children may face from their peers when trying to manage a severe food allergy.

Sensix Injector

An epinephrine injector is useful only when it is available in a time of emergency, and the Sensix model is designed with portability and convenience as a priority. The Sensix injector is therefore more rugged and portable than current solutions. It can be carried in a pocket, clipped to a backpack, or stored in pouches designed to carry mobile phones.

The injector can also help parents ensure that the child has the injector in their possession by sounding an optional alarm when the monitor and injector are separated.

Designer : Essential Design