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A Spaceship With Formula 1 Touches Is What BMW's Gaming Chair Is All About

BMW immerses in virtual realms and unveils a futuristic, multifunctional gaming chair concept that belongs in a Sci-Fi production. The Rival Rig is a spaceship with Formula 1 touches and features smart functionalities that are even hard to wrap your head around, let alone develop.
The Rival Rig Gaming Chair from BMW's Designworks 7 photos
Photo: BMW Group
The Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMWThe Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMWThe Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMWThe Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMWThe Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMWThe Rival Rig Gaming Chair by BMW
BMW boasts on the gaming chair being an attempt to push the boundaries of human capabilities, in a perfect blend of technology and aesthetics. The Rival Rig is the creation of BMW’s innovation subsidiary Designworks at the Rivalworks factory and was designed as an open platform where the gaming community can bring its own input in the future.

Design-wise, the chair was influenced by the characteristics of spaceships and Formula 1 cars. This multifunctional gaming hardware comes with AI (artificial intelligence) capabilities. It has a microclimate control system that monitors the temperature of specific body parts, adjusting it accordingly, by heating or cooling them. The Rival Rig is packed with sensors that measure the user’s exact body size and offer the perfect posture. The chair’s “adaptive seating” feature helps it adjust using pneumatic air pads and electro-mechanical actuators.

There are several preset modes available for different postures, from rest mode, to boost mode, with the latter being developed for intensive gaming sessions. There are constant movements performed by the Rig, aiming to reduce muscle tension and the chair could even massage users between games.

According to Holger Hampf, president of Designworks, the Rival Rig’s main goal is to create the most comfortable seating, hand posture, and head movement situation so that the gamers can fully immerse themselves into the digital world and experience a sense of weightlessness.

Then there are also LED lighting effects that accompany whatever is happening in the game, utilizing the entire light spectrum. This way the gamers feel even more that they’re part of the action.

The Rival Rig was announced at BMW's esports event, BMW Esports Boost, and is just a beautiful concept for now. BMW made no promises regarding a future mass production of it. According to Hampf, they just wanted to show what the possibilities are when it comes to innovation in gaming and e-sports hardware. However, if the feedback is positive and interest is shown by the communities, BMW doesn’t rule out the possibility of making the Rival Rig commercially available.

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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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