Pop-Sci Core77 Design Challenge S p e e d - 1/20/03

Description of Design

You’re running on the beach. Feel the wind through your hair. Hear the birds and the waves crash. Take it all in, without going outside. Speed is relative. By manipulating your environment you can experience the sensation of running on the beach. Feel everything but the sand between your toes. The CardiOasis takes you out of the health club without taking you out of the health club. The unidirectional tread pad lets you run in any direction by using ball and socket style bearings. The tread pad also senses where you are going. As you run, signals are sent to the top mounted projectors and the scene is laid out before (and behind) you. It’s a 360 degree environment for you to enjoy. There are even fans and speakers bracketed to the aluminum exoskeleton to control temperature and simulate wind and sound. Using the CardiOasis is a superior experience to using a common treadmill. Why would you want to run in place, staring at the wall, with no sense of accomplishment? With the CardiOasis you can run laps around the island, cut through the jungle, find your way back to where you started. You will never be bored. The CardiOasis is pre-programmed with several island trails, so when you tire of one, you can choose to run on another. This virtual running machine is light in weight and under 8 feet high allowing it to fit into most rooms. It enables the user to control their environment and choose their own path. It gives the user that sense of speed that they desire and makes the running experience as pleasurable as possible. Breathe deep, enjoy the run.