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View Full Version : Spinning multiplayer game?

KjetilK
February 28th, 2010, 05:10 PM
Hi folks!

I just got an exercise bike in the door, as I need to do some regular exercise. Since I do have a tremendous competitive instinct, it would be awesome if I could actually compete against others on the exercise bike.

So, I was wondering, is there a multiplayer game where people connect their exercise bicycles to the computer and simulate a race based on the true speeds of the competitors?

The flywheel speed sensor on my bike is connected to a display with a minijack, so I figured it shouldn't be that hard to read the speed from the bike, and I'm sure there are many bikes that are actually made to be connected to a computer.

Is there such a thing out there?
ks07
February 28th, 2010, 07:57 PM
Sounds like a great concept, not sure how widespread it would become. This is about it for so called 'exergaming' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exergaming.
matchett808
February 28th, 2010, 08:16 PM
unfortunately i cannot cite my sources but I am sure i have seen something similar with projecters and all that built in too...
KjetilK
March 1st, 2010, 04:48 PM
Ah, great! Indeed, the exergaming wikipedia page lists a number of systems that are does this kinda thing. For the most part, it seems like complete systems that include both software and hardware, i.e. the bike, of various forms. I can't see any simple software solutions that would allow reuse of existing bikes. And nothing for Linux.

Hey, how about this business model:

1) Sell kits to connect exercise bikes to the net.
2) Set up a centralised game server and charge people to use it.
3) ?????
4) Profit!

:-)

Anyway, if someone comes across something like this, I'd be very happy! :-)
ZeroSpawn
March 1st, 2010, 04:52 PM
I would hook my speed sensor to a fan to achieve F1 speeds. :KS
KjetilK
March 3rd, 2010, 06:16 PM
I would hook my speed sensor to a fan to achieve F1 speeds. :KS

Hey! Cheater! :P Yeah, there will be cheaters, and nothing can prevent that, but I think it would be a good idea to hook it up to a social network of some sort, so there is a certain social pressure against it, and so that you can schedule races against people you trust.