Article

Moscow subway kiosk lets travelers pay with squats

An interactive kiosk dispenses free ride tokens for the Moscow Metro in exchange for exercise.

November 15, 2013

Travelers on Russia's Moscow Metro have been gearing up for the Winter Games in Sochi with a bit physical training. 

Russian Olympic and Moscow city leaders looking to whip up some Olympic spirit are getting subway riders to exercise by deploying a gesture-interactive kiosk that dispenses free tokens to passengers who perform 30 squats in front of the machine — and the onlooking public.

Russian state media are reporting that the deployment at Vystavochaya Station is part of the effort to promote physical fitness and sports, according to The Wall Street Journal, which is just one of many outlets reporting on the story.

The passengers' squats are counted by a special kiosk marked with the Olympic logo placed next to the Metro's electronic ticket vending kiosks. Along with the Olympic logo, the kiosks are fitted with a screen that counts out the passenger's squats as they perform them. If they can pump out 30 squats in two minutes, they get a free ride.

"We wanted to show that the Olympic Games is not just an international competition that people watch on TV, but that it is also about getting everyone involved in a sporting lifestyle," Alexander Zhukov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, was quoted by state-run news wire RIA-Novosti as saying, according to the WSJ.

Russian gymnastic champion Yelena Zamolodchikova gave the press and onlookers the first demonstration of the kiosk, as seen in the video below from Russia Today:

And this one Olympic Changes:

Learn more about interactive kiosks.