Bounce: An AI Fitness coach
Key Contributions
User research through diary studies, interviews, surveys, and integration.
Focusing on user interaction through observing non-verbal communication
Actor in a video that helps to embody user’s mental model
Identifying problems based on systemic and human errors.
Problem
Fitness enthusiasts who enjoy working out independently often rely on online tutorials for guidance, which can result in incorrect posture and technique, leading to potential injuries. Hiring a personal trainer can be expensive and may not be a feasible option for everyone.
Our Goal
To use IoT technology to enhance the fitness training experience for individuals who prefer to work out alone, enabling them to achieve a healthier fitness journey and avoid potential injuries through real time posture corrective measures.
Our Response
An IoT AI Fitness Coach that provides real-time corrective measures, and determines risks before hand, aimed at a personalized and engaging workout experience for fitness enthusiasts.
Users required motivation to workout and lacked time-management skills.
A combination of voice, screen, and gesture UI will be used to satisfy the basic functionalities of the comprehensive system to cater to accessibility and inclusion.
Users preferred a mirror over a hologram effect as reflection of their own postures.
As an observation, there may be potential cultural biases related to body shape during the posture correction process.
Key Project Highlights
Prototype demonstration materials with high-quality reflective surfaces and refined user journeys.
The user enactment setting was comfortable for most participants, and the project did not include any intrusive or privacy-probing features.
Design Methods
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User Interviews
Through user interviews, we gained a deeper understanding of the context in which our system is used, as well as user actions related to fitness, pain points while working out alone, and saw an opportunity to improve user experience.
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Dairy Studies and Survey
After seeking user consent, we conducted diary studies with 20 participants, keeping in mind user’s privacy. Diary studies helped us capture user behavior and gather information that maybe unobservable easily in real time.
Surveys were given to 32 participants which helped us gain insight into user actions, preferences and user pain points. -
User Journey Map
Using a User Journey Map, we were able to visualize and analyze the actions and interactions of our users in different phases and on multiple levels like planning their workout, preparing, engaging, testing and disengaging in their workout journey. These insights allowed us to prioritize crucial user actions and improve the overall flow of the user experience.
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Empathy Maps
Empathy maps enables us to get a deeper insight into our persona’s feelings, wants, and empathize with our persona. We divided our empathy maps based on what our persona thinks, feels, hears, sees, does and says.
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User Enactments
User enactments (UE) were conducted with a goal to understand how users engage with the device during exercise to understand the instructions most efficiently. The UE enabled us to observe and understand the interactions with the system and reiterate over system changes after their feedback and recommendations. Feedback was collected qualitatively through interviewing users about their experiences.
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Speed Dating Matrix
The speed dating matrix proved to be an effective tool for evaluating the level of system engagement required in various scenarios pertaining to posture adjustment, workout motivation, and workout accompaniments.
Solution
Bounce is an IoT AI Fitness Coach that delivers personalized and engaging workout experiences with real-time posture feedback, corrective measures, and potential risk assessment.
Real-time Posture Detection and Correction
Seamless Response to Gesture & Voice
Customizable Workout Intensity
Key Takeaways
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System Network and User Experience
Developing IoT solutions requires a thorough effort that integrates multiple system networks and user interactions. It's important to acknowledge that not all hypotheses may be possible through technology, and user research can uncover unexpected observations that should be considered in the design process.
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Rapid Prototyping and Testing
Rapid prototyping and usability testing can be effectively conducted with a small number of users depending on project goals and timelines.
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Extensive User Research
User research is an important aspect of any project, but there are multiple techniques to conduct user research, and it's not always necessary to follow every technique. Project goals, timelines, and available resources can help determine the most appropriate user research techniques to use.