Italian firm Carlo Ratti Associati came up with a brilliant way to inspire people to exercise more. They designed a boat that uses human energy to sail down the Seine River in Paris.
The boat is 65-feet-long (20-meter long) and holds up to 45 people. "The Paris Navigating Gym investigates the potential of harnessing human power," Carlo Ratti said. "It’s fascinating to see how the energy generated by a workout at the gym can actually help to propel a boat. It provides one with a tangible experience of what lies behind the often abstract notion of 'electric power'." It's still in development, but the designers estimate that it could be completed in 18 months.
The Paris Navigating Gym works by converting the pedal power into utility grade electricity. However, if there won't be enough passengers on-board to run the ship, it will be able to use renewable energy sources, like the photovoltaic cells on its roof. One more reason to visit Paris!
More info: carloratti.com (h/t: inhabitat)
