Runtastic is an Austrian developer that creates fitness apps for the international market. Their flagship, eponymous app has over 10 million free downloads and 500 thousand paid downloads. Not content to rest on their laurels, Runtastic have been making their way into niche markets, so it makes sense that they’d venture into the nascent virtual reality market, too.
Instead of reimagining their GPS running app (the Virtuix Omni is still a ways off …), the developers are bringing some of their strength and toning exercises to the Oculus Rift with the 7-minute Workout.
The 7-Minute Workout is an exercise session consisting of bodyweight exercises, each of which last for 30 seconds. The app will include personal trainers in the form of 3D avatars, and the workout will be set against varied environments, including a hillside, a beach, and a “futuristic black hole”; the developers say they’ll add more background environments later.
The neat thing about the app is that the entire interface will be hands free, thanks to the head-mounted display. The virtual trainer and hovering stats will let you see how you’re progressing at any moment during the workout.
There are some obstacles that anyone planning to enter the virtual reality space with an exercise app will have to overcome. Wearing an Oculus Rift can be a sweaty experience even during normal use, so using it for strenuous activity will probably be an uncomfortable experience. Too, the Oculus Rift requires a (relatively powerful) PC, which means people will only be able to use the new app in limited circumstances.
Florian Gschwandtner, the CEO of Runtastic, says they have plans to widen their VR presence. “We’re already working to integrate additional activity types and have found there is really no limit,” he said. “In 2015, we could see Runtastic and Oculus engaging gym fans, runners, bikers (sic) and more.”
This app is probably ahead of its time, but it’s a good indication of where the technology is headed. It can’t hurt to try it out once, right? You’ll be able to do so at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2015, which is being held January 6-9 in Las Vegas.
Who won’t want to exercise in the vicinity of a black hole? And how long before we’re breaking a sweat while platforming, smashing axes into orc skulls, or kicking our friends’ asses in fighting games?
