Highlights from the 2012 Beijing Motor Show
MORE TOP STORIES »
ON THE WATER

Walking on water, Nordic-style

By

22:00 April 3, 2007

Walking on water, Nordic-style

Walking on water, Nordic-style

Image Gallery (18 images)

April 4, 2007 Four Architecture students from the Univerity of Munich have come up with a device that combines a gondola with an elliptical trainer to produce a unique sensation of "walking on water." The bizarre "TU-Fin" concept is the brainchild of designers I.Kiryakov, S.Ballmeier, K.Eichelberg & M.Dressler, and is essentially a racing canoe hull with an elliptical exercise machine mounted to it. Exercising on the machine powers a pair of rear-mounted flippers that propel the craft forward to an estimated 6.5 knots. Unlike a rowing action, the user is able to look forwards as they go.

Elliptical trainers, or Nordic Walkers, are popular as they provide a "no impact" exercise; however, as it's not clear how a rider might steer the TU-Fin, "no impact" may not be the most accurate description.

About the Author
Mike Hanlon
Mike Hanlon
Mike grew up thinking he would become a mathematician, accidentally started motorcycle racing, got a job writing road tests for a motorcycle magazine while at university, and became a writer. He went on to edit or manage over 50 print publications before embracing the internet – a dozen start-ups later, he founded Gizmag. Now he can write again.


Related Articles Email this article to a friend

Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below

For multiple addresses, separate each with a comma




Privacy is safe with us because we have a strict privacy policy.

Looking for something? Search our 18,139 articles