College of Tub releases AI-Powered VR Biking Sport
March 26, 2025 – The College of Tub has not too long ago introduced the launch of Race Yourselves!, a digital actuality (VR) biking recreation now accessible on the Meta Quest Retailer. Developed by researchers on the REVEAL research center (REal and Digital Environments Augmentation Lab), the sport combines AI and VR expertise to supply an accessible, gamified exercise expertise for dwelling customers.
Race Yourselves! sees gamers navigate by digital environments resembling Japan, Egypt, and the Amazon, whereas finishing high-intensity interval coaching or endurance races and accumulating digital rewards. Gamers are additionally capable of cycle towards a number of ‘ghost’ avatars that symbolize their very own earlier rides.
In line with research revealed by REVEAL’s Dr. Christof Lutteroth, static bike customers get match twice as quick once they race towards a number of ‘ghost rider’ variations of themselves quite than pedalling alone or towards nameless strangers. This discovery motivated the researchers to rework their idea recreation right into a marketable product, ensuing on this current launch of Race Yourselves!.
The sport works utilizing any VR headset and any static bike, or a highway bike transformed right into a static bike with a coach stand, based on the College. In contrast to many health platforms that require Bluetooth-enabled bikes and brand-specific subscriptions, Race Yourselves! makes use of the present sensors in VR headsets to trace the bike owner’s head actions as they navigate a dynamic digital panorama. Because the participant tilts their head left and proper to keep away from obstacles and accumulate rewards, the sport’s algorithm deciphers these refined actions to gauge pedalling velocity.
“Most static bikes depend on Bluetooth for riders to entry coaching packages and observe their progress, and infrequently bike manufacturers work solely with their very own health apps, which means riders are locked right into a single {hardware} model and are pressured to pay a rolling subscription for this model’s software program,” mentioned Dr. Lutteroth. “With Race Yourselves! a participant is free to purchase an inexpensive static bike from a high-street division retailer and obtain the sport onto any VR headset.”
Nonetheless, the College did make clear that whereas Race Yourselves! can operate on any VR headset, throughout its launch interval, the sport can be accessible solely by the Meta Quest Retailer, and due to this fact solely accessible on Meta Quest headsets presently.
Wanting forward, the event workforce plans to develop the platform with options together with on-line multiplayer racing, AI-powered digital teaching, and assist for gym-based spin courses. A cellular model of the sport can be in improvement.
The digital teaching element, anticipated inside 10 months, will use wristband sensors to interpret gamers’ emotional states and adapt exercises accordingly, with the AI supposedly in a position to determine in actual time how a bike owner is feeling – overwhelmed and annoyed or motivated and prepared for extra.
Race Yourselves! is accessible to download for free in the present day, with a premium version additionally accessible and priced at GBP £4.99.
For extra info on the College of Tub’s REVEAL analysis heart, click on here.
Picture / video credit score: College of Tub / REVEAL
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in analysis and report writing, he has been protecting XR business information for the previous seven years.
