Important Innovations

  The UK's DryCycle                                                       Source:  DryCycle Exercise While You Travel with Zero Emissions There's a new form of personal, pedal-power-travel rolling out in Europe.  DryCycle is a fully enclosed, electric motor assisted, electric bike. The enclosed body of the e-bike is car-like. It keeps the driver out of the elements like rain, unlike a regular bike.  The vehicle has four wheels, zero emissions and provides the rider exercise during the ride by pushing the pedals.  For a smooth ride, there are hydraulic disk brakes, front and rear suspension, an electric motor and sidekick style steering.  There are dual yellow handles on the dash that match universal bike handlebar standard specs, where you can also mount your phone.  DryCycle is a unique, hybrid...

  The UK's DryCycle                                                       Source:  DryCycle Exercise While You Travel with Zero Emissions There's a new form of personal, pedal-power-travel rolling out in Europe.  DryCycle is a fully enclosed, electric motor assisted, electric bike. The enclosed body of the e-bike is car-like. It keeps the driver out of the elements like rain, unlike a regular bike.  The vehicle has four wheels, zero emissions and provides the rider exercise during the ride by pushing the pedals.  For a smooth ride, there are hydraulic disk brakes, front and rear suspension, an electric motor and sidekick style steering.  There are dual yellow handles on the dash that match universal bike handlebar standard specs, where you can also mount your phone.  DryCycle is a unique, hybrid...

New Health App Is Rolling Out with Select 2020 QLED TV Source:  Samsung QLED TV Health Tracking App to Get in Shape Prolonged television watching has long been associated with being an out of shape couch potato.  That doesn't need to be the case anymore.  Samsung is now rolling out a new health tracking App on select 2020 QLED TVs that started selling in April. Health Data The Samsung Health App collects and syncs an individual's health data from their smartphone, smart watch, wearables and now their Samsung television.  The App stores the data on a dashboard to view their key health metrics.  It also provides access to free workout classes and mindfulness sessions. Personalized Health Goals Using the App, you can set a daily routine, with alerts that a workout class you like is about to start and your can set fitness goals and challenges.  The App is designed to facilitate a healthier lifestyle and includes a variety of classes like yoga, danc...

GymCam Source:  Carnegie Mellon University New Smart Camera, New Algorithm, New Exercise Tracking Carnegie Mellon University engineers have developed a smart fitness tracker for the gym and for your home exercise area.  The GymCam system scans the crowds in a gym to automatically identify exercises and count the number of repetitions. All that's needed is a stationary camera with the new algorithm in a gym to detect exercise, the type of exercise and reliably count the number of repetitions. In your home for personal use, it can do the same functions.  It works with a smartphone for a person to record and track their workouts at home.  CMU says a number of companies are expressing interest in the system for in-home exercise. Vision Based System with New Algorithm This is a vision based system that employs a new algorithm to detect repetitive motion.  The CMU inventors say it goes beyond wearable sensors like smart watches, which they say don't track al...

NordicTrack Virtual Reality Exercise Bike Source:  NordicTrack Bike and Headset in Sync NordicTrack just unveiled their VR Bike at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.  It's a brand new approach to exercise.  While you're burning off calories on the bike, your mind is engaged in Virtual Reality gameplay coming in on the headset.  And, the bike and headset are in sync, meaning if your watching an object going uphill, the bike will match it and you'll be peddling uphill.  For a great news blog on this new piece of exercise innovation, go to my journalist colleague Ed Kane's blog at Important Innovations Collection: Exercising with Virtual Reality : NordicTrack's VR Bike Source:  NordicTrack VR Cycling This exercise bike was just unveiled by NordicTrack at the Consumer Electr...

Boston Dynamics' Atlas - Your Tough Companion at the Gym Humanoid Extraordinaire Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas is a multi-talented, multi-tasker.  His latest feat is to bound up multi layers of platform, shifting his weight from right foot to left and back to the right foot as it runs upstairs.  In other words, it can do parkour training, using exercise movements developed from military course training. Backflips Too Atlas can backflip, run through the snow without falling, bound up stairs.  It's athletic prowess is being constantly upgraded to manage its way in the world and assist humans as a humanoid robot walking, running and jumping among us. Exciting Future of Robotics Robotic technology is advancing leaps and bounds.  Robots are clearly a growing part of our future, whether on 2 legs like Atlas, 4 legs like Boston Dynamics' Spot Mini or flying through the air like DARPA's flying robotic insects.

New Research:  Aerobics Improve Cognitive Performance Source:  Maryanne Kane's Photo of Katie Kane in Competition Running to Prime Your Mind Our brains are at their best when our bodies are in motion, like running, walking, biking rather than sedentary and sitting at a desk.  A new study by German scientists just confirmed it.  As a runner, I've always thought that I do my most deliberative thinking during a morning run.  Now science confirms it.  Wondered if as a jogger, biker, runner, walker and exerciser, you've had the same instincts?  Do you do your best thinking in motion?  Active Motion Works Scientists from Ludwig-Maximilian University in Germany took electroencephalogy brain readings on 24 participants when exercising and at rest.  They found that exercise and upright posture improved visual working memory (that's the ability to maintain visual info to do ongoing tasks) significantly over passive and sea...