Culture, Design, Technology

13\11\2014
Written by Daan Rombaut



This punching bag computer requires a full-body workout for typing a word

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We’ve all encountered these moments of frustration in which we wanted to punch our computer – or slam it to the ground and throw it out of a window. Those who recognise this might appreciate this new keyboard. The designers behind it replaced every single letter with a punching bag, so you have to kick or body slam it out of them if you want to write something. This ‘workoutcomputer’ found its origin in the alternatives to our sedentary work lives, already seen in standing desks or cycling desks. “We were inspired by personal needs for physical activity during daytime, and back pain in the evening after a full office day in front of the computer,” argue designers Ines Kaag and Desiree Heiss from European design studio Bless.

Instead of working during the day and working out at night, the designers wanted to incorporate both activities in the same part of the day – although it’s not the most efficient way of typing a page. “If you were using it the first time, it might take approximately two minutes per word, depending on the length,” add Heiss and Kaag. “But when you know where all the keys are, you could actually write relatively fast. Of course, it still takes 10 times longer than using a normal keyboard, seeing that the distances between the keys are vaster.”

For now, the keyboard is purely conceptual but the designers hope that it inspires a change of heart in the way we deal with computers. “It would be great if the mouse function could be performed eventually with the feet,” say Heiss and Kaag. “Or the workoutcomputer could even become invisible, and the whole room could be covered with active surfaces that replace the keyboard.”

The workoutcomputer is currently on show at the Istanbul Design Biennial.

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