As a study project, for the next three weeks I will be diving into video-based motion-tracking and mobile applications. In short, the end goal of my project is to build a mobile fitness application that should make it easier and more fun to exercise on the go. Or something like that.
Concept
Allow the users to exercise whenever they have time by using a mobile app. The features? Create a routine by combining predefined exercises, start the routine, and follow instructions on the screen – and this way, the users can get scores in real time based on how correctly they can follow the routine. At the end of the routine, the user will get an overview about how well they did it. In the dashboard there will be an overview of past exercises and an evolution of flexibility.
Features: What exactly would the user do?
For determining the features I used a partial MoSCoW method – “must have“, “should have“, “could have“, and excluded the “won’t have” features.
Concept Reasoning: Why this app?
Well, two reasons are behind my decision – the first one being that I had a blast working with motion tracking technology on my previous project and I’m eager to use it again. The second reason is that I personally enjoy exercising and, in time, I’ve noticed common complaints that make it difficult for people to exercise: they don’t have time, they don’t know which exercises to do and how long, they don’t know if they are doing the exercises correctly, it takes too much prep or too much equipment.
That’s a shame because, according to many studies, short bursts of exercise throughout the day have many benefits to your health. To quote a Uhospitals.org article, in a recent study lasting nearly seven years, wearable devices tracked the activity of more than 25,000 people with an average age of 60 who were non-exercisers, and participants who added just three bursts of 1-2 minutes of vigorous activity during their daily routine saw a 50% increase in cardiovascular health. And, as the article continues:
“Short bursts […of exercise] increase endurance and strength as your effort pushes heart, lung, and muscle capabilities beyond normal levels. And, along with the extra calories burned during the burst, an increased metabolic rate continues to burn extra calories afterward. An endorphin rush will also boost mood.”
– Uhospitals.org
I thought this was a pretty good reason to keep on working on a fitness app.
Target Audience: Who’s at the core of this app?
This app should be best suited for people who like short, customizable workouts, squeezed into their breaks. Here’s a breakdown of the audience in segments:
The Flow of The Application
To make it more easy to understand, I’ve made a flow scheme of the two main features of the app: the routine creation and the routine flow itself. Check the schemes below:
Technologies
Since I already have some experience with MediaPipe, I will probably use it for calculating the position and angles of arms, legs, etc. My plan is to also look into other motion tracking technologies or techniques in order to improve the performance of the application because, from my (limited) experience, simply using MediaPipe can be quite heavy on mobile devices.
As for the mobile application, I will look into React Native, Ionic, Flutter, and hopefully Swift, to see which one works the best with video-based motion tracking and if it’s possible to integrate workout times and other stats with health tracking apps.
As for what other similar fitness application exist, check my future posts.
Feel free to leave a comment if you have any suggestions or feedback.