Merach unveils 'world's first' AI-powered treadmill that changes speed and incline based on your heart rate

The best treadmills for home users have come a long way in the last few years, but even so, most of the “smart” features they tout have been fairly surface-level.

You'll often find bigger screens, prettier classes, maybe some basic training plans if you’re lucky. And when brands start talking about AI in this space, it’s usually just voice commands or a chatbot bolted onto an app.

Merach is claiming it’ll go a lot further than that, announcing at CES 2026 the debut of what it says is "the world’s first" LLM-powered home treadmill.

And the most surprising part is the price. Merach says the UltraTread T70 Aura will start at just $1,199.99, which is just short of £900 in the UK. That's less than a third of what Peloton is charging for its latest AI-powered Tread.

Proactive adjustments with AI

The big feature here is the treadmill's “LLM-powered conversational AI coach”, which is built directly into the UltraTread T70 Aura and designed to act more like a real trainer than a voice assistant.

According to Merach, this AI feature won’t just respond to commands; it will proactively adjust the treadmill’s speed and incline in real time based on changes in your heart rate, aiming to keep you in your target cardio zones for better efficiency and safety.

The treadmill will do this by syncing with Apple Watch heart rate data. While this is the only wearable it will sync with to begin with, the brand says support for other brands is coming soon. It also claims the AI will build personalised workout plans and talk you through sessions with narrated coaching, motivation and guidance.

On the hardware side, Merach is making a big deal about joint protection, too. The treadmill uses a patented KneeGuard triple-layer suspension system, which it says delivers lab-validated impact absorption typically found on commercial treadmills costing over $5,000.

The layers include a thin fibreglass board designed to disperse foot-strike pressure while keeping noise to around 60dB, a slat-based module where each slat can “descend” with each step for “49 times” impact absorption, and a cushioning layer that claims 66% energy return, using a material similar to what you find in high-end running shoes.

As ever with CES launches, the big question is how all of this feels in real life, and how reliably it works once people are actually sweating. Heart rate can spike or drop for all sorts of reasons, so an AI that changes incline and speed automatically will need to be very well judged if it’s going to feel helpful rather than annoying.

Still, if Merach pulls it off, this could be a genuinely interesting shift from “smart treadmill” marketing to something that actually adapts while you train.

A cheaper option

Alongside the treadmill, Merach is also showcasing a new, more affordable product aimed at walkers and small-space homes. Called the UltraWalk W60 Plus, this is a treadmill-grade walking pad with an incline that starts at just $299.99 (~£220).

The neat thing about the W60 Plus is that it'll be ready to use straight out of the box with no assembly, with a claimed max user weight of over 400 lbs. Speed tops out at 3.7mph (so walking and light jogging territory), and it offers up to 12% auto incline.

It also leans hard into “make walking less boring” extras, including built-in Bluetooth speakers and sound-sensing RGB lighting that reacts to step frequency or music. There’s also app support for Kinomap and Swift, plus a remote, transport wheels, and upright storage to keep it out of the way when you’re done.

If Merach can deliver a proper treadmill feel in a walking pad format for this price, that’s arguably just as interesting as its bigger AI treadmill news. Either way, it’s shaping up to be one of the more ambitious home fitness reveals at CES 2026.

Head over to Merach for more info.