Morrama designs wearable for world’s first immersive gaming console

Industrial design and innovation studio, Morrama, designed the wearable for Quell, an immersive gaming platform that uses real resistance, haptics and immersive gameplay to deliver exercise to people at home.

The platform, created by fit-tech start-up Quell, includes wearable “plugs in” to the bespoke boxing game, created with insight from professional athletes. These sync people’s movements to on-screen avatars, whilst tracking their speed, endurance and power.

“We started Quell to make exercise fun for everyone, utilising gaming to ensure users are fully immersed in the action,” says Lorenzo Spreafico, co-founder, Quell.

The challenge for Morrama was to ensure the hardware was safe, effective and comfortable, says Jo Barnard, founder and CEO, Morrama. To do so, the studio spoke to sport science, physiotherapy and human biology experts to validate ideas before locking the structural blueprint of Quell’s belts. It uses a laminated blend of athletic textiles that is tailored for daily workouts across a wide range of physiques.

The wearable also includes controllers, a chest unit, wearable belt, wrist wraps and resistance that can be optimised to provide a workout for people’s different body shapes and fitness abilities. The controllers have accelerometer and gyroscopes to replicate players’ movements, whether that is an uppercut or a jumping reach for a hanging vine. They track users’ physical progress so they can see how their fitness is improving as they fight their way through different levels.

The resistance bands aim to provide a workout that is both challenging and natural. Users’ hands are also free to use for the controllers, as they use wrist wraps to secure the bands to the body.

“The introduction of the controllers [by Morrama] has made the product far more versatile, by considering the grip types and gameplay requirements for both small and large hands. This attention to detail is what makes all the difference,” says Spreafico.