CycleScore

Dates

February 2003 — January 2004

Principal Investigator

Joe Heitzeberg (PI) with Doron Harlev and Harry Rabin

Problem

Aerobic exercise is not often engaging or motivating, and would be more effective if it were as much fun as playing sports.

Goal

To increase a person's desire to exercise by providing an exercise experience that is entertaining, motivational and fun.

Overview

Most mainstream fitness equipment in workout facilities offer a convenient workout that can be tailored to an individual's needs in an indoor environment. However, unlike activities such as individual and team sports, treadmills and cycling equipment can be tedious and not stimulating enough for most participants. As a result, many people lose interest in exercising on a regular basis and suffer short and long-term health risks. The aim of the CycleScore project was to determine what kinds of motivational experiences are most effective for aerobic exercise machines.

CycleScore provided a working prototype to MIT's Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center that connects exercise bikes to a PC and monitor to measure the relative effects of certain motivational experiences.

"The students have linked (an exercise) bike activity to the progress of a simple game (through the addition of a PC and monitor on each exercise bike). By pedaling, riders control the flight of a hot-air balloon which floats above a mountain range. The harder they pedal, the higher the balloon soars. If the balloon hits a mountain, the bike pedals stiffen. To keep the game lively, users also drop precision bombs along the way." (Technology Review online)

Project Output

Publications

"Pedal Pushers," MIT Technology Review, 77 Mass Ave section, September 2003.

"Sloan Students Win $30,000 Microsoft MIT iCampus Award," MIT Sloan News, February 3, 2003.

iCampus Includes iQuarium - MIT News Office, May 14, 2003
"iCampus projects this year include the first interactive ocean engineering lab accessible to the public, and games that can be played while pedaling a stationary bike..."

Virtual Reality System on its Way to Z-Center - The Tech, January 15, 2003
"Imagine yourself running at a steady pace on a steep slope only to be outrun by a runner to your left. Suddenly, a mass of runners passes by you. Shocked, disgusted, and being a competitive member of the MIT community, you quicken your pace. No, this scenario is not happening on your local neighborhood hill—it is all occurring in the comfortable confines of the new Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center, courtesy of CycleScore..."

Interactive Workout, Aquarium Funded by iCampus - The Tech, January 15, 2003
"Cyclescore, a creation that transforms exercise on a stationary bicycle into a competitive race with other gym participants, is among the winning project proposals receiving $30,000 from the Microsoft/MIT iCampus alliance..."

Links

CycleScore