A Flying Machine for the Home Gym

I’ve always wanted to fly of my own volition.

When I was young, I tried to make a hang glider to achieve this goal. I had dreams of flying that were so intense that I’d wake up with headaches from concentrating on levitation. It was truly ingrained into my subconscious.

I’ve been waiting for a future of jetpacks and flying cars, and that future always seems to be just around the corner. However, today I discovered an alternate solution: virtual reality flying.

A company called HYVE has created a virtual reality “bodytainment” workout station called Icaros that looks quite different than your typical elliptical machine. It’s specifically focused on making a user feel like they’re flying as they work out. Here’s what it looks like in action:

icaros_action_1024x683

While it doesn’t look like a particularly comfortable workout position, I tried it out on my carpet and it’s not too bad. I’m guessing that once the world starts to move in front of your eyes, your muscle instincts kick in as you try to avoid obstacles. The machine moves with you, both side to side and up and down.

They’re hoping to feature a bunch of different workout games that send you through canyons, cities, and even outer space. I’d love if they added a podracing feature.

My only concern is if the virtual reality is as immersive as it needs to be to make you feel like you’re flying, would I accidentally throw myself off of the machine to avoid Ultron? I’m sure they’ve tested this.

The website indicates they’ll be crowdfunding Icaros at some point in the future. I subscribed to get that alert. It’s probably well out of budget for me, but if I found out a gym had one of these, I would definitely have to give it a try.

What do you think? If you share my desire to fly, would this satisfy your curiosity?

4 thoughts on “A Flying Machine for the Home Gym”

  1. I definitely want a go at this! Though I think I’d put a fan in front of it to get the full immersive experience! It’d be a good upgrade for them, a fan that changes speed depending on how fast you fly in the game.

    Reply
  2. I would love to try this, but there is no way I would do it in a gym filled with other people. I can’t imagine having my eyes covered and my butt sticking up in the air so a bunch of strangers can watch at me as I:

    * pretend I’m Iron Man making sassy comments to Jarvis while protecting the world from an alien invasion

    * make whooshing noises and other loud sound effects

    * sing the Underdog/Mighty Mouse/Superman theme song

    * adopt an English accent as I pretend to be Harry Potter trying to catch the Snitch

    Sign me up, but only if I can do it in the privacy of my own home!

    Reply
    • Katie: That is a GREAT point. Perhaps the home gym is much better than the private gym for this particular device.

      I totally forgot about Harry Potter and the Snitch! I want to play that one immediately.

      Reply

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