Panasonic's Bucking Bronco fitness equipment: no, we're not kidding

Has Panasonic become the upscale SolidAlliance of Japanese electronics? Wait, hear us out. First they dropped the EY3002 computerized mattress onto our sallow souls, now this, the exer-bronco. Although classified as fitness, not fetish gear, the mechanicals do list stirrups and handles as optional equipment. And get this, you can even kit the rig out with an oxygen tank just in case you get a little breathless from "working out." Er, isn't that the point? Prices for that hot, buckin' action exceed ¥300,000 (more than $2500) which might be worth if only for a bit of Wii integration. Help us Bud and Sissy, you're their only hope.

[Thanks, ScooterJP]

[Jerrick @ Nov 30th 2006 7:34AM]

Hmm, Have you heard of OSIM's iGallop. It seems to follow a very similar concept to this device and makes use of scantily clad women to sell their product. One of the few items that throughly requires scantily clad women to sell...

[Nick @ Nov 30th 2006 8:09AM]

what, no be-lycra'd Asian woman?

[nick @ Nov 30th 2006 8:17AM]

For $2,500 you may as well settle for a personal trainer, or maybe even some liposuction..

(nicholas)
http://www.tingog.com

[Matthias @ Nov 30th 2006 8:24AM]

Most interesting though, that you can try these "gadgets" in stores around Tokyo.
And Japanese women don't mind trying these while wearing mini-skirts...

[Scooter @ Nov 30th 2006 8:24AM]

that would be 'ScooterJP' if you please, Thomas. My alter-ego is bruised.

Looks like typos are mandatory however: OSIM describes the iGallop as useful "when you are 'swining' to a toe-tapping tune". How does that go again?

[JC @ Nov 30th 2006 8:58AM]

I'd only buy this if it came bundled with a trashy white girl and a country western bar.

[andy @ Nov 30th 2006 9:19AM]

I was playing on one of those in Sharper image the other day. The store people got a little peaved when my wife jumped on with me..... They said something about making a scene.

[Chi @ Nov 30th 2006 9:18AM]

Actually I saw something like this at Brookstone. Didn't see the price but I doubt it's $2500. However, Brookstone did try to sell those Segways HT so it's possible.

[Peter @ Nov 30th 2006 9:30AM]

Uhhh sure. I think I saw a video of a girl riding one of these with some "options".

[engadget @ Nov 30th 2006 9:31AM]

You can see the OSIM iGallop here:

http://shop.osim.biz/shop/details.asp?prodID=1451&pID=1787

I was in HK when they launched these. It was exceedingly funny to see all the old chinese grannies test-riding them within the launch display.

[rudelerius @ Nov 30th 2006 9:50AM]

Flame me if you will for this little guilty pleasure of mine, but I saw video of this thing in action the other day on 'The Soup' on E. (It was late at night, I was working on a lab project for school... aw hell; the show's funny).
:)

[benderillo @ Nov 30th 2006 10:55AM]

Don't worry dude, I saw it too.

[amesanza @ Nov 30th 2006 10:02AM]

Now all they need is the "options"...such as a surface around the unit to break the fall...People could choose between air mattress or rubber mat (and for the more adventurous ones...mud, jello, whip cream, and foam) - geedy up horsey!

[Samuel Curtis @ Nov 30th 2006 11:14AM]

1. iGallop is a blatant copy of this.
2. Panasonic is seiing this in the US.

[freddo @ Nov 30th 2006 1:08PM]

Haha, they have a couple of these in the break room of the Skype office in London...no one uses them though...

[Castle @ Nov 30th 2006 1:08PM]

Actually Panasonic (Matsushita) is a massive company, its not really surprising they make fitness equipment.

They make rice cookers, dish washer, kitchen sinks, and even entire houses.


Hell, other Japanese giants even more varied, Toshiba for instance is the world leader of making nuclear reactors, and recently did a buy-out of Westinghouse Electric Company; the decendent of Westinghouse and Thomas Edison's company and maker of nuclear reactors.

[Jared @ Nov 30th 2006 1:23PM]

Were's the Carl's Jr. burger? LOL

[PreGHz @ Nov 30th 2006 1:30PM]

*cough* Sybian.

[Stylze @ Nov 30th 2006 1:42PM]

This has been out for at least 2 years.

[Matt @ Nov 30th 2006 2:23PM]

they could also market this as a sex toy

[TheCash @ Nov 30th 2006 5:22PM]

The riding program I work for uses these with handicapped people to help build core body strength. It seems hokey, but they work extremely well and also promote better balance, something most of us take for granted. Horseback riding is a great workout and whomever came up with this thing apparently realized that.

[cloud811 @ Nov 30th 2006 10:25PM]

this stuff is old, this ver is just a newer remake. I was in HK over the summer and all over the malls were this excesizing machine called "igallop" check it out.... surprizing expeinve and EVERYWHERE

[JohnMarkT @ Dec 1st 2006 11:24AM]

I rode one of these last year in Japan:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1498391198

You can see you get quite a workout.

[DASPIZ @ Dec 9th 2006 2:13PM]

AOTS on G4TV did a week in Tokyo and showed these and users a couple of times...fairly humorous and the Japanese seem to take the health effects seriously. But come on, the obvious jokes just jump right out at you.

[ooreilly @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:57PM]

Be aware of OSIM's warrenty policy! I have purchase an OSIM mattress in March, 2005. The other day we turned it over, it is all moldy. I called their warrenty department and emailed them also. They told us we MUST have spilled something on the mattress and that's why it's moldy. So warrenty is not covering it. Wow, waht kind of logic is that? If something went wrong, must be the customer's fault!! Who are we dealing here? Does customers have any right with this company? I am afraid not!
If they want to use that as an excuse and not honor their warrenty, say it, instead of blaming the owners of their mattress of mis-use. This is not acceptable. The company manufatures bad mattress and is blaming the owners of the mattress for not taking care of the mattress. This is very bad business practice! I am not even sure if they shipped me a bad mattress to start with. I do not know. If that's their logic then, my logic will be that they delivered a moldy mattress to us at the first place as we have NEVER spilled anything on it. JUST DON'T BUY ANY ISOM product, otherwise, you will just get screwed if something goes wrong.