Wang Weizhi started researching smart technology for exercise bikes two years ago after quitting his job as an engineer for ZTE Corp, a leading information and technology company in Shenzhen.

He signed up for a one-year "maker" course at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, which is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Working with a 15-strong team, Wang developed a high-tech package which could be incorporated into exercise bikes. The Runrunfast brand was born and it rolled off the production line last year after being built by a company in Zhejiang province.