Making fitness fun with the first wearables for body motion gaming
Obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975 to approximately 650 million people. The WHO estimates that, in the EU, 30-70 % of adults are overweight, and obesity affects 10-30 %. Over 60 % of children are overweight before puberty and remain so in early adulthood. Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, orthopaedic problems, mental disorders and lower self-esteem. The situation is exacerbated by young children spending more time looking at screens than playing outside. One study found that by the age of 7, children will have been looking at screens for the equivalent of 456 days, with just 182 spent playing outdoors. Filling a gap in the market with a solution to spark the interest of a generation used to static gaming, Atomic Bands are the first smart, affordable, Bluetooth gaming device for interactive fitness sessions. The wearable Funky Bots solution, currently in prototype form, comprises dual motion sensing bands designed to be used with mobile apps for full body stimulation and real-time health feedback. Showcased at CES in 2017, Atomic Bands received four Best New Gadget mentions, notably from the BBC and CNET, and were ranked 7th for innovative VR and AR technology, right behind Huawei and Xiaomi.
Gamifying fitness
The Atomic Bands come in pairs for the left and right wrist and/or left and right ankle, generating data from two reference points. BTLE Sensors measure the heart rate, respiratory rate, steps, distance and calories burnt. A Bluetooth chip provides communication between the bands and smartphone. The software has a unique ‘gesture pattern recognition’ algorithm to maximise user interaction with the various games, providing real-time motion tracking without field-of-view restrictions. The app offers activities designed to help players learn movement-based skills and play AR fitness-oriented games with leaderboards, competitions and social network integration. The app also has a dedicated user dashboard to visualise fitness details, analyse moves and display tips. The algorithm helps users engage their entire body, burning over 600 cal/h (rivalling a 10 km/h jog of 590 cal/h). Users can also create 3D worlds with gestures corresponding to phenomena such as hills or valleys. “Star athletes and other masters of their craft all started somewhere. By making something fun, you make it a habit and the skills follow,” says Rosa Mei, Funky Bots CEO and project coordinator. Testing with children in Belgium taught the researchers the importance of ease-of-use, scoring (to help with engagement), and the need for a complete solution – not just a fitness band but a whole platform.
Creative innovation and maximising user experience
While the team are currently seeking additional funding to arrange contract manufacturing, they have been future-proofing the technology to be usable with interchangeable components, independent of particular motion sensor chips. They anticipate securing a patent this year and releasing the product one year after securing funding. “We started with nothing, growing from a ragtag group of eccentric designers and software engineers, in remote European places. Now we are working with 50 engineers from Intel, as the only start-up chosen to collaborate on their new Curie chip,” recalls Mei. “We’ve gone from building our first robotic prototypes in a Canary Islands living room and staying in a windsurfers’ hostel, to competing with billion-dollar companies like Huawei.”
Keywords
Atomic Bands, obesity, overweight, exercise, fitness, wearables, health, motion, gaming, mobile, app