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