Technabob » treadmill http://technabob.com/blog Cool Gadgets, Gizmos, Games and Weird Science Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:15:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Treadmill Computer Plays Portal 2 Theme Song: For Health and Science http://technabob.com/blog/2011/06/21/treadmill-plays-portal-2-theme-song/ http://technabob.com/blog/2011/06/21/treadmill-plays-portal-2-theme-song/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:22:25 +0000 Lambert Varias http://technabob.com/blog/?p=59459 Still Alive, the soundtrack to the first Portal game. With Portal …]]> GLaDOS is that you? YouTube member evi1wombat made waves on the Internet a few years ago when he hacked a busted treadmill computer that had been discarded at the back of his school’s gym and made it play Still Alive, the soundtrack to the first Portal game. With Portal 2 out for a while now, it’s only natural for evi1wombat and his trusty Cybex to do a rendition of the sequel’s theme song:

treadmill computer portal 2 by evi1wombat

Evi1wombat replaced the computer’s CPU, wrote an engine and drivers and used the machine’s source code to figure out how to make music on it. Now prepare your best imitation of a synthesized voice and sing along!

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

How awesome would it be if Valve had a character named Cybex – and evi1wombat! – on the next Portal?

]]> http://technabob.com/blog/2011/06/21/treadmill-plays-portal-2-theme-song/feed/ 0 Climbstation Endless Rock Climbing Wall Makes My Arms, Legs and Wallet Hurt Just Looking at It http://technabob.com/blog/2009/07/18/climbstation-endless-rock-climbing-wall/ http://technabob.com/blog/2009/07/18/climbstation-endless-rock-climbing-wall/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:20:14 +0000 Technabob http://technabob.com/blog/?p=16957 Now I can barely stomach the idea of ascending one of those rock climbing walls you see at the gym, and now some masochist had to go and invent this.

climbstation

The ClimbStation combines the concept of a treadmill with rock climbing to create a never-ending wall of pain. The system consists of a moving treadmill that continually advances the wall of grabby rock-like formations, torturing its victims until they fall. Thankfully, there’s a nice big comfy mat underneath.

climbstation angle

The treadmill can move as fast as 17 meters a minute (just under a foot per second), which is way faster than anyone should ever have to climb anything. It’s also got a hydraulic tilting mechanism which lets the whole treadmill adjust between +15 to -30 degrees angles. At least it’s smart enough to automatically adjust its speed based on the skill level of the climber.

Here’s a video of the ClimbStation having its way with a willing victim (its inventor):

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Prices for ClimbStation systems start at €29,900 (over $42,000 USD), so you probably won’t be getting one of these for your home gym.

[ClimbStation via PSFK]

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