Virtual reality fitness brand Black Box VR has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honouree for its resistance-based gym technology.

The Black Box VR studio has developed a fully automated cable resistance machine that integrates virtual reality hardware and virtual eSport software.

Visitors to The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which opens tomorrow in Las Vegas, Nevada, will have the first chance to test out the upcoming gym system.

The system uses an intense, time-dilated, custom workout while immersing users in challenging, gamified and competitive virtual reality fitness experiences, powered by HTC Vive software.

“In Black Box you’ll utilise strength, agility, balance and speed in a larger than life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games – dedication, determination, and longevity – and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body," said Preston Lewis, CCO of Black Box VR.

The business was founded in 2016 by Lewis and Ryan DeLuca, who had already built Bodybuilding.com into a major supplement retailer, with nearly $500m (€369.55m, £370.55m) in annual sales.

DeLuca, CEO of Black Box VR, said: “For nearly two years, our team of veterans from the fitness industry and the gaming industry have collaborated to harness the power of virtual reality to change the landscape of results-driven exercise and competitive eSports.

“We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our product in Las Vegas, and proud to have been honoured with a CES Innovation Award.”

CES is a global networking conference for consumer technologies and has been recognising achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

The CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).