The Cykill Exercise Bike-Powered Gaming Console

Jeremy S. Cook
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

After outlining why gyms, personal trainers, yoga, and even walking the dog are sub-optimal methods for staying in shape, Maker “FuzzyWobble” goes on to outline his “Cykill” device. His gaming + fitness setup takes the form of an Xbox powered in a way that won’t even turn on unless you’re pedaling a stationary bike at an acceptable level. Adding another element to this fitness motivation is that if you stop pedaling, it actually cuts power immediately, stopping your in-progress game, and potentially even damaging the system’s hard drive!

With this hack, the only way to turn on the Xbox is to pedal the bike! (📷: FuzzyWobble)

This “regrettable hack,” as ‘Wobble describes it, uses an Arduino Uno to intercept the signal that the stationary bike normally sends to the control panel. It then sends a signal to a power switch tail that supplies power to the Xbox, allowing it to turn on. Settings and intensity levels are set via a new custom panel, and user feedback is provided there by a series of LEDs.

“If you are eager to get fit but can’t find the time or motivation — hack any console in this regrettable way for fast results!” (📷: FuzzyWobble)

Astute readers may note that one could simply unplug the Xbox from the cruelly-programmed power switch tail and plug it into the outlet directly. ‘Wobble has considered this possibility, and suggests gluing things together to avoid the temptation. Of course, one could always reprogram it to stay on, but that would take at least a few minutes, when you could just jump on the bike and start gaming (nearly) immediately!

Hackster Blog

Hackster.io, an Avnet community, is the world’s largest network for hardware & software developers. With 1 million members and 17,000+ projects, beginners and professionals can learn and share how to build robotics, industrial automation systems, AI-powered machines, and more.

Jeremy S. Cook

Written by

Engineer, tech writer, content creator, maker of random contraptions for fun and profit.

Hackster Blog

Hackster.io, an Avnet community, is the world’s largest network for hardware & software developers. With 1 million members and 17,000+ projects, beginners and professionals can learn and share how to build robotics, industrial automation systems, AI-powered machines, and more.

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