Maybe we will see some patent lawsuits in near future?
.
I was actually thinking about this ridiculous device last night and put it on my list of modern life absurdities.
1. we import rocks from China, thats right we put rocks on ships and bring them half way around the world cos out rocks are'nt I don't know...? Chinesey enough?
2. Tazers are now being issued to public hospital waiting rooms, if you weren't dead when you arrive you might be if you complain too much, ZAP! And why don't the nasty things have adjustable controls, like a little warning zap? If my drill is adavnced enough to speed up or slow down why can't these things?
3. wii fitness, don't people have streets and parks to exercise in, is the fat-arse-shame too much to cope with?
4. Cooking TV, millions of people sit down to watch other people cook and then cook nothing but convenience food.
There must be more.
Some Finnish schools have...
...tested this device, and have been satisfied.
Seems like people like fitness machines that give feedback.
http://www.smartus.com
Interesting points, but ...
1. Marble, granite and even wood are and long have been imported by people who can afford to do so -- Italian marble and Brazilian flooring, anyone?
2. U.S. hospital waiting rooms are full of people with no place else to go, and sadly, some of those people are drunk, drugged, disturbed and dangerous. I hope hospital staffers are getting Taser training.
3. Half of the sidewalks in my neighborhood are not passable from November through March, and neither is the street. They certainly are not usable if one has any difficulty walking or has a stroller. Not all areas even have sidewalks, and not all areas are safe for walking.
4. True. My husband loves cooking shows, but with work, a long commute, two small children (one with autism), and graduate school, he has no time to cook.
About the fitness games -- they might be very helpful for someone like my daughter, who has poor coordination.
What's next?
One useful feature they could probably add to those interactive playgrounds, is that they could automatically make police report if vandal strikes?
Vandalism rate is too high in my country.
http://www.teemulahtinen.fi/blogi/2010/02/19/liikuntapalveluiden-hairiko...
Our 6 year-old has tested...
... unresponsive playgrounds and other non-electrified entertainment environments (small lakes, sandy beaches, wooded areas, fields of grass,) and simple entertainments devices (baseballs, soccer balls, frisbees, kites, sticks, manually powered bicycles) and has been satisfied. Seems the feedback he gets from being around other kids, using his imagination and releasing the pent-up energy is quite enjoyable and healthy for him.
This January we joined the local gym (it's a little tough to exercise outside in the winter when it's 20 below) and I prefer to play basketball and racquetball than run on a machine while staring at TV or an electronic display. Call me crazy, but being engaged in a game with another person is more fun and I will work harder and exercise longer (without even realizing it).
There is plenty of good that technology can do, but sometimes there are just simple things in life that do not need more bells and whistles.
There is one problem in my country; Discrimination.
There are sometimes separate swimming hours in public swimming halls for Muslim ladies.
And some gyms are always solely for ladies.
Nintendo did bring fitness games to living rooms (even 8bit NES had Dance Mat and U-Force).
But it was possible exercise arm strenght in arcades with Arm Champs:
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=2911
Or maybe learn...
...some self-defence with Fighting Mania:
http://www.kotaku.com.au/tags/fist-of-the-north-star/
Q*Bert would be fun...
...in fitness game form. Although it would occupy a large space.
http://quarterarcade.com/Content/Articles/QBert.aspx
I will not judge Project Natal and Playstation Move until...
...I see finished products next Christmas.
Maybe bodybuilding is also design?:
http://www.billdobbins.com/
These sandboxes look quite sturdy even...
...in Koivukylä where vandalism rate is high.
http://www.lappset.com/
Nintendo Cereal System
Healthy lifestyle includes healthy diet. Maybe they some day design new version with less sugar etc.
According to Paul Reubens's interview in Collecting Toys magazine, he wanted Pee-wee's Playhouse cereals to be both tasty and healthy, but kids hated them, and so Ralston Purina abandoned whole project.
http://www.mrbreakfast.com/cereal_detail.asp?id=254
Outdoor fitness games are probably next step, but...
...is this indoor or outdoor video game?
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/worlds-largest-functional...
What does this have to do with design
Jyri Snellman,
What does Wii fitness have to do with design? Stop talking about what is not possible and begin doing something that is possible. Anyone can do sit ups and push ups in a small confined space. Make an attempt to eat better and a smaller amount. The laws of nature will always apply, the strong will survive and the weak will perish.
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com