During CES last week, Panasonic connected a Nordic Track treadmill to the Internet, and the result is a stationary run using Google Maps that feels real.
A Panasonic Viera Connect HDTV displays Google Maps and communicates inclinations of hills and valleys to the treadmill. The machine is smart enough to incline itself at the appropriate times, matching those hills every step of the way…
Imagine the ability to simulate an actual run anywhere on the planet. Take a run up Mount Vesuvius, or peer over at Bill Gates’s house while you sprint through his neighborhood with nary a security guard in sight. Of course, it’s all virtual, so you may never need to leave your house again.
