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132 Comments
- WordsnCollision, on 08/28/2008, -1/+61Fantastic idea, imagine if every exercise machine was hooked up to the grid? Burn fat = create energy.
- jcorn1, on 08/27/2008, -2/+45Very cool!
- ronintetsuro, on 08/28/2008, -2/+38Not wanting to pay your mounting energy bill: Stingy.
Getting your customers to help: Genius.
Branding it with the ever-popular "green" label: Priceless. - aaronlidman, on 08/28/2008, -0/+32Add a revenue sharing model and you could get paid to go to the gym.
- br0ck, on 08/28/2008, -0/+28There was an article in the paper a few years ago about a genius dad who got sick of his kids sitting around watching TV so he got a couple exercise bikes and hooked them up to a battery that powered a TV. I think it said that it was about a 1:1 time ratio so they really started watching only shows they really wanted to watch.
- AmyVernon, on 08/28/2008, -2/+23Talk about green power!
- Culero, on 08/28/2008, -1/+20Run my hamsters, run! bwahahahaha
- redcolumbine, on 08/28/2008, -1/+16I was wondering when somebody would try this.
- kingofinternet, on 08/28/2008, -4/+16if only my gym could be powered by incinerating preening douchebags
- inactive, on 08/28/2008, -2/+12They have also developed kinetic energy generation panels for sidewalks that use the foot fall of people walking to generate energy. Apparently, a significant portion of NYC's power consumption could be provided with these.
- inactive, on 08/28/2008, -1/+9Argh... they took my idea. At least they haven't found out about my urinal/sink combo idea...
- sustainablogger, on 08/28/2008, -3/+11Kind of like that really old, really bad B movie about harnessing energy from people having sex... can't remember the name...
- eryximachus, on 08/28/2008, -0/+8We should implement this system in all of our prisons, and make exercise mandatory. Only cardio though - don't want those criminals getting too strong. This could be a solution to the energy crisis.
- NJank, on 08/28/2008, -1/+9ok, what's typical human energy output in a typical 20minute workout? Now, at ~$0.15 per kWh...
let's start here:
http://epicycle.org/2006/06/definitive-and-graphic ...
Let's go off his 1kW for 15minutes estimate (later thought to be too high). That's 250kWh per workout. The gym is paying 15-cents each, so that would be $37 per workout session. Seems pretty good. Even if I'm off by a factor of 10, that's $3.70 per workout session. 20 sessions a month, there's $75 a month.
I'd assume everyone would produce more electricity than the place uses, at which point it sells back to the grid (likely only at wholesale, though). So there's the profit model.
Interesting. I'm sure that misses something huge. but it's interesting. - sbcea, on 08/28/2008, -0/+7I love it. It seems so obvious and I hope it catches on.
- redcolumbine, on 08/28/2008, -0/+7Liquid Sky?
- mitchelwinters, on 08/28/2008, -0/+6I wrote this in the paper as well. Enjoyed reading it again though. Thank you, hopefully it becomes front page.
- arielh85, on 08/28/2008, -0/+5Wow. I'm impressed that you actually knew the answer to that. Really.
- orlyfactor, on 08/28/2008, -0/+5Free gym > paying $70 or more for one (which is what I pay).
- mooseofshadows, on 08/28/2008, -0/+5I think we may seriously be on to something here...
- blah247, on 08/28/2008, -0/+5from IMDB;
nvisible aliens in a tiny flying saucer come to Earth looking for heroin. They land on top of a New York apartment inhabited by a drug dealer and her female, androgynous, bisexual nymphomaniac lover, a fashion model. The aliens soon find the human pheromones created in the brain during orgasm preferable to heroin, and the model's casual sex partners begin to disappear. This increasingly bizarre scenario is observed by a lonely woman in the building across the street, a German scientist who is following the aliens, and an equally androgynous, drug-addicted male model.
Sounds like a classic! - ElAmo, on 08/28/2008, -2/+6Thank you Admiral Obvious, recently promoted from captain.
- wassim2k, on 08/28/2008, -0/+4Do I get a refund on my membership if I produce a certain level of energy? I feel weird paying to help them reduce their energy bill. Although I might feel good about the whole "save the world" thing.
- mooseofshadows, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3This is actually ingenious. You could lessen people's membership fees if they came more often, giving more incentive to actually come to the gym rather than getting a membership and never using it.
- Laminarcissus, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3But that's the point -- it's finding ways to reduce people's carbon footprint *and* make it profitable so it gets done.
If it's always a "contribution" or a "project" then we'll never have widespread adoption. In this case, lowering his energy bill means lowering the amount of energy that needed to be generated for him. Green = cheap = green.
Sorry to step on your cynicism, but I just think it's a little contrived in this case. - BufordT, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3"weed whacker motors and truck alternators"
Anyone who can combine these two items into workable technology should be considered a genius. - BigDgetonefree, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3thats a pretty cool idea but i bet they will still charge you stupid money to join this gym and sit there making its energy
"green label" = $$$ - SpeedStix, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3Me to, actually when I was younger I did have a hamster that thing kept running and running in its little exercise ball all night. I took a little DC motor from a pocket fan, attached the rotor shaft of the motor to the center of the wheel, soldered some wires to the motor attached a little resistor and a low voltage light bulb and voila. Hamster powered night light.
- Blandyman, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3Admiral being a higher rank than Captain.
Obviously. - browe07, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3Yeah. Pretty good idea, but I just can't help but think of hamsters either.
- Takfam, on 08/28/2008, -0/+3Go back to Craigslist.
- Laminarcissus, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2I'd give you credits at the snack bar.
- inactive, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2The Pursuit of Happyness?
- tabledesk, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2How about this article's stronger relevance to the blockbuster called The Matrix?
That self-powered gym notion could be our subtle way of proving *that* dystopia wrong:
Instead of becoming dreaming fetuses powering controlling computer sentients with our body heat, we would exercise and get stronger bodies and clearer minds and feel less inclined to 'plug in,' so to speak. - burningodzilla, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Funny this is the first time I've ever read anything like this. I had an idea like this when I was in 4th grade, only on a much larger scale. I say implement the same thing in prisons, and keep the prisoners on a regimented routine. Power for the prison and probably a fat surplus. The downside would of course be that if the prisoners escaped, they'd probably be in much better shape than the guards ;-)
- SpeedStix, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2America would turn really thin really quickly. I think a better idea is to cut off all the power to IHOP's and replace all the seats with these bicycles. Think of the possibilities.
- pault107, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Troll. Check his comment history:
http://zuubu.pcriot.com/?username=heilhitler
This is the same guy that was all over Digg yesterday and got banned. He spreads his vile filth looking for a response. But he's a bit more dangerous than that - DO NOT CLICK ON ANY OF HIS LINKS. Some lead to a virus, some lead to browser hijacks. Just report him and move on. - Uiaccsk, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Haha, oh, Bowfinger...you were such an awfully great movie...or is it greatly awful?
- castletech, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2I think of this all the time while on the machines at the gym. I am really glad to see this idea in motion.
- toekneebullard, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Now imagine if people didn't cause so much pollution by driving to the gym to cycle, and just got on bike?
- ghostfaceDX, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2But then when they finally escape they'll just be able to keep running.
I prefer my inmates locked in cells chain smoking cigarettes. - inactive, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2This.
http://drupload.com/?module=img&file=rgr2y3lgx9s21 ... - whitmell, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2so... are they lowering patrons' membership fees based on how much power they produce?
- inactive, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Links:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/707618/man ...
http://enr.construction.com/news/powerIndus/archiv ... - gerrylazlo, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Chubby Rain?
- AdmiralHalsey, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Before you know it the government will be hiring "energy converters." Could solve the job crisis and the energy crisis simultaneously. Get electric cars out into the mainstream market and pretty soon you could power your own electric car. Plus the lowering costs of solar which I cant wait for...it's the wave of the future
- edwartica, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Hmm, in the Alberta arts district no less, why does this not surprise me. Get rid of the clown house, but add a gym.
- rye419, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2I would like to know more
- Soave, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2Cool, thanks. That's what I thought. I just wasn't sure if there were any completely different and complex ways of doing it that I wouldn't have learned in an AP level electricity and magnetism physics class.
- WELLDOITLIVE, on 08/28/2008, -0/+2What's your point? I said that I already support this idea, why not?
I was replying to the original comment that burning fat=creating energy. -
Show 51 - 100 of 134 discussions
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