Built on a custom-designed and fully automated cable resistance machine, Black Box VR integrates virtual reality hardware and original virtual eSport software to get a custom workout while immersed in gamified experiences. Users wear a virtual reality (VR) headset and step into different simulations that integrate the motion of the exercise they are performing.

In Black Box you will utilize strength, agility, balance, and speed in a larger than life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games – dedication, determination, and longevity – and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body.
— Preston Lewis, Black Box VR CCO and Co-Founder

The first chance to experience Black Box VR happened at CES, where the technology was awarded both a CES Innovation Award and the “Best Startup of CES 2018” award.

The station at CES allowed users to battle an AI opponent in a chest-press battle, the computer gauging strength with each repetition and increasing resistance, creating an intense workout. Adding virtual reality through a HTC Vive headset turns the exercise program into an otherworldly clash where flaming meteors are hurled between competitors and only the strongest can continue.

The first phase of Black Box VR is expected to launch in mid-2018 as stand-alone boutique gyms, each with virtual reality pods for individuals to experience their own super-powered workout. Complete information about Black Box VR can be found on their website at www.blackbox-vr.com (direct link), where you can sign up for their beta list to get updates as they become available.