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| CES 2018: Black Box VR wants to make gamers fit | CES 2018: Black Box VR wants to make gamers fit |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Start-up Black Box VR has developed a full-body workout in the form of a 30-minute virtual reality experience. | Start-up Black Box VR has developed a full-body workout in the form of a 30-minute virtual reality experience. |
| It uses a bespoke resistance training machine and an HTC Vive headset. The entire set-up is about the size of a family bathroom. | It uses a bespoke resistance training machine and an HTC Vive headset. The entire set-up is about the size of a family bathroom. |
| It is one of several innovations at the CES tech show in Las Vegas to propose mixing VR and fitness training. | It is one of several innovations at the CES tech show in Las Vegas to propose mixing VR and fitness training. |
| But one expert said the firm would need to address safety concerns for the idea to be a success. | But one expert said the firm would need to address safety concerns for the idea to be a success. |
| The Idaho-based firm's solution involves participants entering a virtual arena, where they compete against an avatar and, eventually, one another. | The Idaho-based firm's solution involves participants entering a virtual arena, where they compete against an avatar and, eventually, one another. |
| The firm's founders, Ryan DeLuca and Preston Lewis, were also behind the successful fitness empire bodybuilding.com. | The firm's founders, Ryan DeLuca and Preston Lewis, were also behind the successful fitness empire bodybuilding.com. |
| Exercise and repeat | Exercise and repeat |
| Black Box VR's business plan is to open boutique gyms across the US, in which each member will enter their own "black box" space for the gamified work-out, which will track their progress. | Black Box VR's business plan is to open boutique gyms across the US, in which each member will enter their own "black box" space for the gamified work-out, which will track their progress. |
| More from CES 2018: | More from CES 2018: |
| An at-home version of the equipment could be developed in the future, the firm said. | An at-home version of the equipment could be developed in the future, the firm said. |
| "Most people stop going [to the gym] after a couple of weeks so adherence is something that's a critical factor of what we're trying to solve," general manager Jim Bradbury told the BBC. | "Most people stop going [to the gym] after a couple of weeks so adherence is something that's a critical factor of what we're trying to solve," general manager Jim Bradbury told the BBC. |
| One VR-industry watcher said the idea had potential, but had concerns. | One VR-industry watcher said the idea had potential, but had concerns. |
| "Human beings in general find it hard to retain the habit of exercise and there's been many attempts to try and make it more appealing - so, VR makes sense from the perspective of trying to make the gym less boring," said J P Gownder from the consultancy Forrester. | "Human beings in general find it hard to retain the habit of exercise and there's been many attempts to try and make it more appealing - so, VR makes sense from the perspective of trying to make the gym less boring," said J P Gownder from the consultancy Forrester. |
| "But the cost of the equipment is going to make it an expensive get-up. | "But the cost of the equipment is going to make it an expensive get-up. |
| "And will it be safe enough for people to use? | "And will it be safe enough for people to use? |
| "I'm not aware of the Vive having been stress-tested for this kind of use, and [Black Box VR] is going to need to prove that it has taken account of impact on the body of using the headset during strenuous exercise." | "I'm not aware of the Vive having been stress-tested for this kind of use, and [Black Box VR] is going to need to prove that it has taken account of impact on the body of using the headset during strenuous exercise." |
| Weight loss | Weight loss |
| Job Stauffer, a games developer who now works with the VR Health Institute - who is helping Black Box VR with promotional activities at CES - says he has personally benefited from virtual reality. | |
| He told the BBC he had lost more than 82lb (37kg) playing such games in addition to improving his diet. | He told the BBC he had lost more than 82lb (37kg) playing such games in addition to improving his diet. |
| "Late in 2016, I was probably the unhealthiest I'd ever been in my life, well over 300 pounds," he said. | "Late in 2016, I was probably the unhealthiest I'd ever been in my life, well over 300 pounds," he said. |
| "And I started playing games on HTC Vive and Oculus and I started to notice that wow, like I'm sweating I'm getting the best workout I've ever had." | "And I started playing games on HTC Vive and Oculus and I started to notice that wow, like I'm sweating I'm getting the best workout I've ever had." |
| Mr Stauffer said he started by playing the indie game Sound Boxing, which he described as "Guitar Hero for the arms". | Mr Stauffer said he started by playing the indie game Sound Boxing, which he described as "Guitar Hero for the arms". |
| He said he then moved onto Space Pirate Trainer, which he compared with using an elliptical machine - or cross-trainer - in terms of calories burned. | He said he then moved onto Space Pirate Trainer, which he compared with using an elliptical machine - or cross-trainer - in terms of calories burned. |
| The VR Health Institute is now developing a Pan European Game Information (Pegi)-style rating system for games to grade them according to their activity level, he added. | The VR Health Institute is now developing a Pan European Game Information (Pegi)-style rating system for games to grade them according to their activity level, he added. |
| "A lot of people in the games business work an incredible amount of hours and often don't get the time that they need to take care of themselves," he said. | "A lot of people in the games business work an incredible amount of hours and often don't get the time that they need to take care of themselves," he said. |
| "At the same time playing games is a sedentary experience but VR changes all of that - that room-scale experiences are engaging your body in full." | "At the same time playing games is a sedentary experience but VR changes all of that - that room-scale experiences are engaging your body in full." |
| Virtual reality and fitness is a small but growing market. | Virtual reality and fitness is a small but growing market. |
| At last year's CES a firm called Icaros showed off a cradle that simulated flight while giving users a work out as they planked their way across a mountain range. | At last year's CES a firm called Icaros showed off a cradle that simulated flight while giving users a work out as they planked their way across a mountain range. |
| At this year's event a Czech start-up, Sense Arena, is promoting the use of VR to train athletes to play ice hockey, basketball and football. It suggests the tech could ultimately lead to fewer injuries during matches. | At this year's event a Czech start-up, Sense Arena, is promoting the use of VR to train athletes to play ice hockey, basketball and football. It suggests the tech could ultimately lead to fewer injuries during matches. |
| Meanwhile at the VR Fit gym in Columbus, Ohio, members can already work out with a virtual reality personal trainer for $60 (£44) per session. | Meanwhile at the VR Fit gym in Columbus, Ohio, members can already work out with a virtual reality personal trainer for $60 (£44) per session. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Zoe Kleinman, Las Vegas | By Zoe Kleinman, Las Vegas |
| In my two-minute demonstration, I chest-pressed my way to victory in front of a crowd in a huge virtual arena, punching out bowling balls of fire and, inexplicably, large green birds as I pulled the machine, with more resistance piling on at every repetition. | In my two-minute demonstration, I chest-pressed my way to victory in front of a crowd in a huge virtual arena, punching out bowling balls of fire and, inexplicably, large green birds as I pulled the machine, with more resistance piling on at every repetition. |
| I was rewarded with a virtual sweat band in a prize box and aching biceps for the rest of the afternoon. | I was rewarded with a virtual sweat band in a prize box and aching biceps for the rest of the afternoon. |
| There was no noticeable latency between my action and the action I saw in VR, and the graphics, while a bit strange, were immersive. It certainly beat watching rolling news programmes in the gym with the sound down. | There was no noticeable latency between my action and the action I saw in VR, and the graphics, while a bit strange, were immersive. It certainly beat watching rolling news programmes in the gym with the sound down. |
| The demo appears to have been designed with male testers in mind - the reps were heavy, and the only available profile to compete against was a macho avatar called Razer wearing green armour. | The demo appears to have been designed with male testers in mind - the reps were heavy, and the only available profile to compete against was a macho avatar called Razer wearing green armour. |
| But the firm was at pains to point out to me that ultimately people could compete against each other, and that other computer-based avatars would also be developed. | But the firm was at pains to point out to me that ultimately people could compete against each other, and that other computer-based avatars would also be developed. |
| Of course the concept of getting fit while playing a game is as old as sport itself, and Black Box has been developed by people who are already very motivated by fitness. | Of course the concept of getting fit while playing a game is as old as sport itself, and Black Box has been developed by people who are already very motivated by fitness. |
| After my brief experience I couldn't say whether it would hold my attention in the long run. But on the other hand, neither has my gym membership. | After my brief experience I couldn't say whether it would hold my attention in the long run. But on the other hand, neither has my gym membership. |
| Follow Zoe and the rest of the BBC team at CES via this Twitter list | Follow Zoe and the rest of the BBC team at CES via this Twitter list |