Italian firm Carlo Ratti Associati unveiled designs for the Paris Navigating Gym, a human-powered 66-foot long fitness vessel that can accommodate about 45 individuals. The fitness vessel features Technogym-built ARTIS machines, which take energy produced during workout sessions and convert it into other forms of energy.
For now, the idea is a concept that is proposed for the Seine River in Paris, France. Carlo Ratti, founder of Carlo Ratti Associati and MIT professor explains, “The Paris Navigating Gym investigates the potential of harnessing human power, it’s fascinating to see how the energy generated by a workout at the gym can actually help to propel a boat. it provides one with a tangible experience of what lies behind the often abstract notion of electric power.”
Thanks to electric propellers, the boat can be used all year long and travel all the way up and down the Seine River. Specifically, the vessel would be open during the summertime and enclosed in a transparent glass covering during the colder months of the year. The transparent glass will also feature augmented reality screens that display real-time information, such as energy sourced from workouts and outdoor weather conditions, while passengers are working out. While the goal is to explore the potential of human energy to power vehicles, the fitness vessel could also be powered by supplementary solar panels.
The current design of the vessel plays tribute to the iconic Bateaux Mouches, Seine River’s traditional ferry boats. Ratti explained how Paris is the perfect spot for a floating fitness vessel, “From Walter Benjamin to the Situationists artists, strolling has always been a quintessentially Parisian way to express the excitement of urban life. What if tomorrow we can start to stroll on the river itself?”
Source via: Paris Navigating Gym
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Article Written by Mila Medonaite for Design Engine, December 6, 2016