Rowing

Rowing machines are one of those things that many fitness-conscious people want but don't get, due to their high price and large size. The RowBro is designed to address those problems, as it's ultra-compact and should ultimately sell for just US$599.

Keeping fit indoors can be a challenge, though the challenge with many home fitness devices is maintaining motivation. So-called smart rowing machines can help keep you engaged, and Peloton has now put its long-rumored Row up for pre-order.

Rowing machines provide a great workout but they do take up a lot of space, which is why many fold in half. The King Smith WR1 takes things a step further, by folding in thirds to form a wheeled wood-sided cube.

We've seen bikes that are powered by both the arms and legs, plus we've seen ones that are rowed instead of (or along with) being pedaled. The Varibike Extreme, however, combines both types of exercise in a unique new fashion.

Although there already are exercise machines that simulate skiing, rowing and other sports, they're usually separate devices that are fairly large. Whipr takes a different approach, consisting of a base unit that works with multiple attachments.

While rowing machines provide a good workout, they do require users to keep their hands on the handle at all times – this makes it hard to control a smartphone's music playback function. The ergRemote, however, puts a Bluetooth remote on the handle.

​If you're a member of a rowing team, it's not just your stroke that's important, but also how well you coordinate that stroke with those of your team-mates. With that in mind, Idaho-based rowers Mike Schaefer and John Balint invented the connected and collaborative Stroke Master rowing machine.

​Rowing machines are a great source of exercise, but it can be hard to stay motivated when using one at home by yourself. Hydrow is intended to address this problem, as it allows users to take part in training sessions hosted by national-level rowers, live-streamed right from the water.

Holding the Olympics in Rio has created a new set of adversaries for athletes: bugs and bacteria. The US Olympic rowing team will be going into battle with a new anti-microbial unisuit, designed to help keep them safe from whatever lurks within the waters in Lagoa Stadium. ​​

We've already seen a few bicycles that attempt to provide riders with more exercise by having them pedal with their legs and arms. Ruder-Rad, however, believes that a two-wheeler is too unstable a platform for that kind of locomotion. That's why it's introducing the Ruder Trike.

Portland-based American Dream Trailer Company has a new – er, revisited – idea for how to best transport a boat on your camper. In place of the typical gear racks, its trailer uses a matching boat that secures to the trailer roof like a fitted hat.

In 2011, Andras Bakos began planning a trans-Atlantic rowing expedition to raise awareness of environmental issues. The boat that he had custom-built for the trip is now ready to go, and it looks like it could just as well be used for rowing to Mars.