Acer's answer to smart exercise bikes is a desk version that charges your devices as you pedal.
The eKinekt BD 3 bike desk takes the kinetic energy from the pedaling to power a generator, creating electrical energy —as long as you keep exercising.
“One hour of constant cycling at 60 RPM on the bike desk can generate 75 watts of self-generated power,” Acer says. That should be enough to charge a laptop and a smartphone.
However, it doesn’t seem you’ll find a standard electrical outlet on the desk. Instead, it comes with two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. An LED on the back of the bike will light up signaling when devices are charging.
The desk comes with two modes. “In Working Mode, the desk surface moves closer to the chair to let riders sit in an upright position while typing and pedaling,” Acer says. “In Sports Mode, the desk top sits further forward, giving more room to lean in, similar to the position on a standard bike or trainer, for added leg space and increased pedaling power.”
To keep the user motivated, Acer developed a companion app for the desk that can show how many calories are burned, along with the electricity produced. Exercise stats will also show up on a built-in LCD display.
“For more accurate tracking, riders can input personal information such as height, weight, gender, and age on their app profiles. It also records workout history for users to track their progress and compare results over time,” the company says.
Acer made parts of the bike desk, including desk top and casing, out of post-consumer recycled plastic. It plans on launching the eKinekt BD 3 in North America this June for $999.