Looking for a new VR fitness companion? The new Acer eKinekt BD 3 Bike Desk can fully charge a Quest 2 headset in roughly 2.5 hours from pedalling.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the eKinekt BD 3 provides an eco-friendly way of charging electronic devices by converting pedalling into energy. The eKinekt BD 3 can be set between two modes; ‘Working’ moves the desk surface closer to the chair, while ‘Sporting’ lifts the desk up for greater leg space. Workout stats are tracked through a companion smartphone app, where you can set up personal profiles that account for your height, weight, age and more.
Acer claims “one hour of constant cycling at 60 RPM on the bike desk can generate 75 watts of self-generated power.” The bike can charge multiple devices simultaneously through two Type-A USB ports and a Type-C port, according to Acer. Offering some examples, it’s claimed an iPhone 14 (battery 3200mAh) takes between 3.5-4.5 hours to charge through Type-A fully, and 1.5-2.5 hours with Type-C, while a Chromebook requires 1.5-2.5 hours through Type-C. When asked about a Meta Quest 2 headset, Acer’s representative confirmed to UploadVR that it would take “2 to 2.5 hours to fully charge” with Type-C.
There’s some existing efforts to pair VR content with physical exercise bike machines, so it’s interesting to think about eKinekt BD 3 or something like it becoming a viable companion for a subscription-based fitness VR app.
The Acer eKinekt BD 3 Bike Desk arrives this June across North America, Europe, and Taiwan for $999.
