Cooper Stooper

The Cooper Stooper is a stair stepping exercise system designed in 2009.  Based on an inexpensive hydraulic stepper, the designers added a negative incentive: a wireless switch operated by a microprocessor controls power to an entertainment system such as a TV or computer.  The microprocessor tracks exercise use and duration, turning on the entertainment system during the workout, and turning off the entertainment after a long pause in the workout.  A base and handlebars were added for stability.  A small LCD display shows the exercise session history, displays rest time allowed based on exercise duration, and warns the user when shutdown is imminent.