ROCKY 1
Client: D-Force
Year: 2026
General background
Rocky 1 is currently being showcased as a first working prototype at FIBO 2026 in Germany – one of the leading global exhibitions in the fitness and sports industry.
The system introduces a breakthrough “force-against-force” competition and training concept, enabling real-time physical competition over the internet between users anywhere in the world. It integrates AI capabilities, adaptive training levels, and a global competitive framework for both professionals and amateurs.
Design process
The development process took approximately four months, from the initial sketches to a fully functional prototype presented at the exhibition.
During this time, four advanced design concepts were developed, each exploring a different direction for the system’s form and interaction.
One concept was ultimately selected and carried forward into full development, followed by intensive engineering integration to meet extremely high load requirements and the significant physical forces generated during use.
Form development
The main challenge in the form development was to create a product designed for a gym and competitive environment, while simultaneously expressing a futuristic and technological experience.
The structure had to be completely self-supporting, unlike existing systems that rely on a simple table setup and a referee physically stabilizing the device during use.
This required a form language that communicates structural strength, stability, and durability as its primary visual message.
Only after that came considerations of aesthetics, resulting in a design that conveys mass, power, and control, while maintaining precision, clarity, and a high-tech product identity.
At the same time, certain traditional elements from the sport were intentionally preserved – such as the victory pads – kept in their familiar, almost generic form, as a cultural anchor within the evolving design language.
Innovation
The innovation behind Rocky 1 lies in merging real physical competition with a global real-time digital network.
The system enables users to compete against each other from anywhere in the world, creating new competitive formats such as left vs. right, different skill levels, and structured global, corporate, and custom leagues.
AI integration allows the system to learn the user’s performance, adapt training intensity dynamically, and transform the product into a responsive training and competition partner rather than a passive device.
This fusion of intense physical interaction with intelligent digital systems defines a new category in sports technology – a global real-time competitive arena.
Form Language Development & Initial Concept Exploration
The initial phase of the design process focused on defining the product’s visual DNA and exploring diverse formal alternatives at an early stage.
Methodology:
-
Rapid Ideation Sketching: Generating a series of quick hand-drawn sketches to explore composition, formal flow, and preliminary ergonomics.
-
Engineering Integration (CAD): To ensure full feasibility from the start, sketches were translated into SolidWorks. This allowed the design envelope to be built in strict alignment with the existing mechanical components and internal engineering.
-
Concept Alternatives: Based on the formal research, I developed and presented several distinct design directions to the client, offering varied interpretations of the user interface and the device's physical presence.
Rocky 1 – Real-Time Physical Competition Arena
Rocky 1 is the first working prototype of a breakthrough training and competition system, presented at FIBO 2026 in Germany.
The product defines a new category of interactive sport, based on real-time physical competition over the internet, combining artificial intelligence, adaptive training levels, and access to global competitive arenas.
The system was designed as a fully self-supporting structure, capable of withstanding extremely high physical loads and forces, while maintaining a design language that balances structural strength, technological precision, and a futuristic visual identity.
It is not just a training device – it is a new competitive arena, connecting people from anywhere in the world through force, technology, and real-time physical experience.
