Prof. Eckehard Fozzy Moritz demonstrates the armchair rowing machine.
Photo: Innovationsmanufaktur GmbH
Oar you a couch potato in need of some exercise? No need to get off the comfy couch - let the exercise come to you instead. Behold, the GEWOS ("Gesund wohnen mit Stil" or Healthy Living in Style) rowing armchair
Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen, Germany, the rowing armchair has all sorts of sensors and microcircuitry built into the seat cushions, backrest and armrest to measure the correct rowing posture. A tablet PC transmit data to the TV so the user can view pulse rate and blood oxygen level as well as progress metrics.
Before you laugh, the armchair has been proven a success. When tested at the Ambient Assisted Living conference in Berlin last year, 100 senior citizens tried it out and ranked it first over 14 other assistance products.
Sven Feilner of the IIS added that the researchers are looking to add gamification components to the rowing armchair, so that senior citizens with limited mobility as well as couch potatoes worldwide can compete against each other.
Evolution of the rowing armchair
The rowing arms fit snugly under the armrest when not in use
Link: Official website