The "Paris Navigating Gym", a project designed by Italian architect Carlo Ratti Associati, is a boat that cruises along the Seine using energy generated by its passengers’ workouts.
Ratti worked in collaboration with fitness equipment maker Technogym, non-profit architecture group Terreform ONE and urban regeneration institute URBEM.
The 20m long vessel can host up to 45 people and uses Technogym’s Artis machines, a special type of sports equipment that harnesses human energy.
The gym contains augmented-reality screens installed on the inside of the boat, which show guests the quantity of energy sourced from their workouts and data about the Seine’s environmental conditions, tracked in real time by sensors incorporated on the vessel.
Ratti said: "The Paris Navigating Gym investigates the potential of harnessing human power. It’s fascinating to see how the energy generated by a workout 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’."
It is unknown exactly when or if the gym will become operational, although it is estimated that it could become a reality within 18 months.
Images via Carlo Ratti Associati
