Sensor turns any exercise bike into a VR training device

Get your bacon on! Soon there will be no more excuses for fitness couch potatoes. The US start-up Virzoom launches a sensor that can be attached to any exercise bike. Support for Samsung Gear VR even makes the VR sports experience wireless.

The American start-up Virzoom is one of the pioneers in the VR fitness sector. They have been on the market for some time with their Virzoom bike, which has buttons in the handlebar grips like a gamepad and sensors in the pedals to measure speed. Now the whole thing is set to become even more practical.

Pimp my exercise bike

If you already own an exercise bike, now is the time to get it out of the basement and dust it off. Because with the so-called "VZ Sensor", you can now pimp up your personal device. The sensor is attached to the pedals of the exercise bike and measures the speed and distance travelled. It connects to Samsung Gear VR via Bluetooth, whereby a Samsung Galaxy S8 is required for operation. Virzoom promises that Google's mobile Daydream glasses will also be supported soon. Anyone using an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive will need a Bluetooth adapter for the PC.

From virtual bike races to Formula 1 races

With "Virzoom Arcade", a collection of games has been developed that has been optimised for VR endurance training and is based on Steam is available free of charge. If you sit on the exercise bike and start the application, you can use the VR glasses to ride virtual bike races, ride on the back of a winged horse or steer a Formula 1 car. You set the direction with head movements.

The VZ Sensor will be launched on the market in September 2017. A mixed reality video shows some of the applications that Virzoom Arcade offers. Virzoom employee William Brierly has lost 25 kilograms with the help of Virzoom and a diet.

To the gym with VR glasses

If you don't have an exercise bike at home, you can cheekily take the sensor and the Samsung Gear VR to your favourite fitness studio. Installing it on one of the training machines there should be a piece of cake.

Virzoom is currently working with one of the largest fitness equipment manufacturers, Life Fitness, to test how the device is received in fitness centres.

Source: Vrodo