This bike will stop your kid’s YouTube video if they’re not pedaling

Kids watch a lot of YouTube. And that generally means a lot of sedentary, butt-in-seat time.

But what if they had to pedal to keep the content coming?

That’s the question entrepreneur couple Arnav Dalmia and Shivani Jain are asking with their new company/product Tovie.

Described as a “sensory-friendly bike that helps kids use movement to self-regulate,” Tovie is a peddling machine where kids sit on whatever chair/couch/etc is comfortable and get their feet going. (If this sounds familiar: Yes, it’s basically like those under-desk peddlers for office workers. More on that later.)

The reason Tovie piqued our interest is Dalmia and Jain’s proprietary “Pedal-to-Play” system, which “makes movement the controller,” they say. It works by connecting Tovie to a kid’s device via Bluetooth, and whenever they stop pedaling, the YouTube video they’re watching (or the video game they’re playing) stops working.

The goal is to keep kids moving their bodies but still allowing them screen time.

“Studies done by researchers have found that movement in general is a tool for self-regulation of the hormones in their bodies, to help the nervous system calm down,” Dalmia told Inc. “It helps get the excess energy out before they have a big meltdown.”

He added that with Tovie, he and Jain feel they are “creating a whole new category of children’s fitness.”

“People think that children can get exercise while outside playing, but not all kids are the same, and they have different circumstances. In winter, it’s too cold outside. If parents are busy preparing dinner, they can’t watch their kids playing outside,” he added.

This isn’t Dalmia and Jain’s first stationary exercise product. In 2013, they debuted Cubii, an under-desk elliptical, and to bring it to life, they raised almost $300,000 on Kickstarter.

They’re producing Tovie the same way. This time, the Kickstarter goal is only $50K, and with nine days left in the campaign, they’re about to cross that threshold thanks to just over 100 backers.

Once they’ve shipped the initial models to Kickstarter supporters, the couple hope to put Tovie in big-box stores like Target and Walmart–and then keep developing products.

“The Tovie bike will be the first of many bikes focused on children’s health,” Dalmia told Inc. “Being a dad myself, I know how important physical movement is. The goal is to encourage movement and get kids started with fitness to start good lifelong habits.”

Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.