Since this is sort of under "entertainment" I posted this here. I've noticed a few electronics and software people and thought I'd see how viable this idea is. I find exercise really boring, but if I do something too distracting I invariably start going slower and slower without noticing. What I'd really like to do is link my elliptical to my computer so it acts as an active input to a game so I am engaged, but also aware of my pace.
This is just at the brainstorming stage, but since the elliptical has a magnetic switch that trips once a revolution, I figure buying a cheap USB joystick or mouse or something and replacing one of the buttons with the elliptical's switch seems like the easiest approach to get the signal into the computer. Then I'd have to write a program to read and process the signal and get a game with enough of a scripting capability to accept input. I really need a game input that it pays to keep going all the time, so any direct connection to speed of movement is out. Maybe turn off any health and you only get it back via the elliptical? An endurance meter would be even better I guess, but a lot of games don't have a direct analog for that. Maybe a simple script that only allows walking if you're down too much. It could automatically change the recharge constant to keep you in a certain speed range (that's the real world elliptical speed, I mean).
OK, those were my brainstorming thoughts so far. Any suggestions? Criticisms? Insults?
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Main Entry: co de pen dence - see codependency
co de pen den cy
Pronunciation: \kō-di-ˈpen-dən(t)-sē\
Function: noun
Date: 1979
: a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person is controlled or manipulated by another who is affected with a pathological condition (as an addiction to alcohol or heroin) ; broadly : dependence on the needs of or control by another
GasSavers_maximilian 
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