SportsArt launches a rowing machine that can charge your phone

Fitness equipment company SportsArt has launched the G260 ECO-POWR Rower, a rowing machine that can generate electricity. The rower is the latest addition to SportsArt’s lineup of gym machines with a sustainable twist.

The company’s ECO-POWR technology transforms physical exertion into electricity. An electromagnetic braking system mimics the feeling of rowing and produces energy as you move. A generator in the machine captures these movements. A micro-inverter converts this energy into usable electricity, which can be fed back into the device for immediate use.

The harder you work, the more energy you generate; a color-changing LED light on the gadget shows your power output in real-time. SportsArt claims that ~74% of the energy you exert when using the machine is converted to electricity.

As demonstrated at CES, you could use the power you’ve generated to charge your phone, or you could use it to offset your power consumption from the grid. According to SportsArt, it would take around 2 hours working out on the rower to charge a phone fully.

The Taiwan based company is targeting gyms at the moment, where the combined workouts of customers can reduce the need for grid electricity and therefore lower power bills. However, according to SportsArt, it is also considering expanding into the at-home user market.

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