Comunicazione Carlo Ratti
The Paris Navigating Gym will rely on its passengers to stay afloat, literally.
Gym memberships won’t keep the gym going — the passengers pedaling will. Created by international design and innovation office Carlo Ratti Associati, the Paris Navigating Gym project is designed to be a human-powered boat that floats the Seine River using energy from passenger workouts. The 20-foot long vessel would hold up to 45 people.
“The Paris Navigating Gym investigates the potential of harnessing human power,” Carlo Ratti, founding partner of Ratti Associati said. “It’s fascinating to see how energy generated by a workout gym can actually help to propel a boat. It provides one with a tangible experience of what lies behind the often abstract notion of ‘electric power.'”
Initial studies say that the model can be launched in less than 18 months. It doesn’t look like a boat but rather a very large, rectangular flotation device that has clear slanted walls. Through the clear exterior, a passerby can see ARTIS bikes that passengers will work out on to fuel the keep the “gym” afloat.
The ARTIS machines are what would power the Navigating Gym, and augmented reality screens inside the boat would show people how much energy is being sourced from their workout. It can also show guests the conditions of the Seine.
According to innovation and design firm, the project was developed in response to a public call organized by the French capital. The 2008 preliminary design of the boat was meant for New York City.
