Black Box VR: luring gamers into the gym

When many people think of gamers, they have an image of someone sitting in front a screen with a pizza in one hand and joystick in the other. Therefore, what Black Box calls "v-sport" or virtual reality sounds like an excellent solution to break this stereotype and encourage gamers to break a sweat while still fighting the bad guys. This fitness experience may also appeal to regular gym goers who want to shake up their routine with a new way to work out.

The name Black Box is appropriate for multiple reasons. To start a workout the user literally walks into a black cubicle where they place a VR set onto their head and get attached to the Black Box fully automated cable resistance machine that integrates with HTC Vive. What happens next is compared to a device used in science, computing or engineering, where an input is transformed into an output without much knowledge of the internal workings.

Once inside the Black Box, the player is immersed in a competitive video game that requires him or her to to stand mostly stationary but they still achieve a high intensity cardio workout through cable resistance training. The company recommends 3-5 sessions of about 30 minutes a week.

"In Black Box you will utilise strength, agility, balance, and speed in a larger-than-life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games – dedication, determination, and longevity – and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body," said Preston Lewis, co-founder of Black Box VR.

Lewis and Ryan DeLuca, the founders of the company, have already seen great success with their website Bodybuilding.com, which is a major supplement retailer, with nearly US$500mil (RM1.98bil) in annual sales. At CES 2018, their latest venture, Black Box VR, was named a Innovation Awards Honoree for this resistance-based gym technology. According to KTVB-TV, Lewis said they hope to open their first "gym" in San Francisco within six months and aspire to see many more openings across the United States. — AFP Relaxnews