In modern times, appearance is very important for nearly everybody. Most people want to look healthy and have a good body. In order to achieve this goal, many go to the gym, where they can use a variety of different exercise equipment to improve their appearance. Unfortunately, many people are too lazy and not motivated enough to work out hard on their own or keep up with systematic training. Some even don’t really know what they should do in order to enhance themselves. In this case, they seek out help from other people. The most specialized ones in this are the personal trainers, but their help isn’t free. The gym’s membership alone can be quiet expensive and the additional cost of hiring a personal trainer may turn some people down. Fortunately, modern technology is so advanced, that even AI can become a professional personal trainer. A mix of machine learning, image recognition, and motion tracking was used in order to create smartphone apps that can help you with your training.
VAY Fitness Coach
VAY is an app that uses image recognition and front camera of your phone in order to check if you’re doing exercises properly. At the start, you choose one of six trainers that will help you. Next, you put your phone facing yourself few meters away and start exercising. The app will use the image from your phone’s camera to check if you’re not making mistakes and if you are, it will provide voice feedback. Those vary from simply counting how many reps you have done, to giving instructions or even motivating with entertaining comments. Unfortunately, this app only works with body-weight exercises like squats, push-ups or lunges.
Gymfitty
Gymfitty is very similar to VAY but it doesn’t use image recognition to check if you’re exercising properly, but it works with weight training. This app only uses voice recognition to answer any of your questions related to the workout. However, it creates a work plan and changes it as you’re getting stronger. The more you use Gymfitty, the more it learns about you and your training. That information includes the amount and length of the exercises you do, hearth beat, your body type and many more. It processes that information in order to tailor special training plans just for you.
Yoganotch
Yoganotch is an app for as the names suggest only yoga. It works similar to VAY, but unlike it, it uses special motion-tracking sensors that are attached to your body to detect your position. Setting up the sensors is unfortunately time-taking, but the company says that by using them, the app can more accurately detect how your body is positioned.
Many professional personal trainers have commented on the subject of these apps. They were surprised how accurate and functional they were. Some of them have also expressed the fear of losing their jobs to these apps in the future.
These apps show us how helpful AI can really be in the quest for a healthy body. Maybe in a few years, when this kind of technology gets more popular and advanced, we will see how it revolutionizes the ways of working out. Unfortunately, it also shows us how more and more jobs are lost every year to AI.
References:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-50988753/ces-2020-how-ai-fitness-apps-now-rival-personal-trainers?intlink_from_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Ftechnology&link_location=live-reporting-map
[2] https://www.vay-sports.com/
[3] https://www.gymfitty.com/
[4] https://yoganotch.com/
The app sounds very entertaining and cost-effectly as well. Looking forward to hear some more information and researches on this topic in the near future!
Cool, that’s like having pocket coacher, moreover it’s very comfortable, cause you don’t need to go to the gym with coacher, but you take your phone and just go out. So enjoyable