There is disclosed a system for conducting multi-member group competitions involving physical exertion, the system includes a competition server that serves to designate a set of parameters for a competition involving at least two competing groups of individuals engaged in physical activity, the set of parameters defining a win condition requiring physical activity to be completed by at least two separate individuals within each group. The system further receives data representative of physical activity of multiple individuals in a first group, receives data representative of physical activity of multiple individuals in a second group, determines whether the win condition has been satisfied by the first group or the second group, and identifies a winner as the first group or the second group that completed the win condition.

A bicycle trainer including folding legs and a vertically adjustable frame member supporting an axle and cassette where a rider mounts the rear frame, such as dropouts, of a conventional bicycle with the rear wheel removed. The trainer includes a flywheel with a magnetic brake assembly controlled through an open protocol and configured to receive wireless transmitted signals from an app running on a smart phone or other such applications. The flywheel assembly also includes a bracket coupling the magnetic brake with a frame. A strain gauge is mounted on the bracket to detect torque, which is used to calculate a rider's power while using the trainer.

A stationary exercise device comprises pedals mounted via cranks to opposite sides of a drive wheel; a flywheel with a magnetic rim coupled to the drive wheel; a brake with a motor and one or more permanent magnets mounted for movement relative to the magnetic rim; a measuring unit for measuring at least one of the drive force applied via the drive wheel and the related torque; a measuring device for measuring cadence; and a command module. The command module uses measurements from the measuring unit and the measuring device to calculate a performance parameter and compares the performance parameter against a predetermined performance profile. The command module also can control the motor to move the permanent magnets relative to the magnetic rim to adjust the braking force applied and thereby adjust the performance parameter to conform with the performance profile.

A bicycle trainer including folding legs and a vertically adjustable frame member supporting an axle and cassette where a rider mounts the rear frame, such as dropouts, of a conventional bicycle with the rear wheel removed. The trainer includes a flywheel with a magnetic brake assembly controlled through an open protocol and configured to receive wireless transmitted signals from an app running on a smart phone or other such applications. The flywheel assembly also includes a bracket coupling the magnetic brake with a frame. A strain gauge is mounted on the bracket to detect torque, which is used to calculate a rider's power while using the trainer.

A stationary indoor “smart” training bicycle includes a unique combination of adjustable components to provide configurable dimensions to adjust the frame size of the indoor bicycle to properly fit a rider. A system is also provided to process a digital image of an outdoor bicycle and determine and translate dimensions and adjustments to the indoor bicycle to match one or more dimensions (lengths, angles, separations, etc.) of the outdoor bicycle.

An indoor, stationary, bicycle training device that provides advantages over conventional designs of exercise bicycles is provided. The stationary bicycle may include a tilting/pivoting mechanism to orient the indoor bicycle to simulate descending or climbing. The indoor bicycle may include flexible and resilient frame elements to support the indoor training device to move side-to-side under some riding situations thereby simulating the side-to-side swaying motion of an outdoor bicycle under the same riding situations. The indoor bicycle may include several combinations of frame adjustments to provide configurable dimensions of the indoor bicycle to adjust the frame to properly fit the rider, which may be adjusted based on corresponding dimensions of a user’s outdoor bicycle. Still other aspects of the stationary bicycle device may aid in creating an “outdoor” feeling while using the device.

An exercise machine may include a reciprocating linkage that supports one or more pedals configured to move in a closed loop (e.g., elliptical) path as a user exercises with the machine. The exercise machine may be adjustable to vary a characteristic of the exercise provided by the machine, for example by changing an incline of a rail supporting the reciprocating linkage, and thus an angle of the closed loop path. The exercise machine may vary the incline with a lift mechanism operatively associated with the front upright frame of the machine, which may also support a resistance assembly, all in a compact form factor that may be more aesthetically pleasing and practical for relatively smaller exercise spaces.

A method for controlling an exercise machine using a video workout program including encoding, remotely from the exercise machine, exercise machine control commands into a subtitle stream of a video to create the video workout program, wherein the exercise machine control commands are encoded at least once per second, decoding, locally to the exercise machine, the subtitle stream of the video to access the exercise machine control commands, displaying, locally to the exercise machine, the video, and controlling, locally to the exercise machine, one or more moveable members of the exercise machine using the exercise machine control commands.

In various embodiments, a treadmill system may include one or more custom treadmill hardware devices and one or more accompanying pieces of software which may be configured to work in tandem to simulate one or more virtual terrains within a game on a physical treadmill. In particular embodiments, the system is configured to enable a user to control a direction of a virtual avatar as the avatar traverses the virtual terrain (e.g., while the user is using the treadmill). The system may then be configured to manipulate the treadmill (i.e., incline of the treadmill, speed of the treadmill, etc.) based on the terrain that the avatar is currently traversing. The system may utilize one or more imaging devices to identify particular gestures performed by the user. In this way, the system may be configured provide hands free control to the user while the user is using the treadmill.

A fully wearable system used for communication and information transfer between two users or between a user and a machine to render an effective and intuitive physical interface for combined input and output functions, the fully wearable system including a bidirectional wearable skin including distributed actuator and sensing elements, the actuator and sensing elements including a multimodal actuation layer and a sensing layer, the bidirectional wearable skin being flexible and stretchable, and a portable control device for controlling the distributed actuator and sensing elements, and reading signals from the sensing layer, the portable control device is configured to perform pixilated actuation for both micro- and macrostimulation of a body of a wearer by an actuation frequency and stimulation amplitude.