LAYER and saga's holographic exercise bike immerses riders in VR environments

layer x saga present holobike

Experience design agency LAYER has designed and engineered the HoloBike for Saga, the world’s first holographic exercise bike that breaks the monotony of workouts with rich immersion. With sophisticated technology it virtually simulates 3D trail rides that users can look into and around without the need for specialized eyewear or a VR headset. A 27 inch ‘viewport’ screen acts as a 3D portal that allows stunning virtual scenes and holograms to pop off the screen or recede into the horizon for life-like rides. Additionally, a stereoscopic light-field display provides a 3D portal to these scenes with crystal-clear 4K resolution, unparalleled in the fitness industry.

In its design, the HoloBike amplifies this realism with a riding stance and visual expression that is closer to a performance bike than a conventional exercise bike. Its streamlined geometry and robust, performance-led engineering with fluid transitions is intended to appeal to a broad demographic, while its cantilevered form promotes a racing stance.

all images courtesy of LAYER

2d virtual reality scenes visible to the naked eye

‘Fitness is an important part of a healthy life – yet working out, particularly in the home, can be boring and full of distractions,’ notes Benjamin Hubert, founder of LAYER. The HoloBike thus tackles these challenges by recreating the exhilaration of an outdoor ride to bring an incredibly immersive and engaging experience to the comfort of the home.

As riders cruise through natural scenes generated with neural networks from volumetric scans of real-life landscapes, leaves appear to drift off the screen towards the rider. To achieve this kind of life-like visual fidelity, the HoloBike integrates the most powerful graphics process ever used in a consumer fitness device. Adding to the life-like experience, the electromagnetic resistance control dynamically adapts to the virtual environment to simulate realistic hill-climbs. This cutting-edge technology adds another dimension to home fitness and combats issues of exercise bikes feeling ‘static’, keeping users focused on performance.

LAYER has designed and engineered the HoloBike for Saga

electromagnetic resistance control dynamically adapts to the virtual environment to simulate realistic hill-climbs

users can experience VR environments with the naked eye

LAYER’s HoloBike features a stereoscopic light-field display

27-inch viewport screen acts as a 3D portal that allows virtual scenes to pop off the screen

a dynamic aesthetic with a cantilevered form that promotes a racing stance

the product can blend seamlessly between home and performance environments

the bike’s unconventional silhouette references the familiar performance cycling language

streamlined geometry

project info:

name: HoloBike
designer: LAYER x SAGA

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom