Any and all the excuses people have consistently relied upon to avoid going to the gym are rapidly becoming irrelevant with the technological advances of the burgeoning smart fitness trend. In line with this movement, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology developed a prototype for a pioneering piece of equipment: the Smart Gym.
The sophisticated software is part of RMIT’s Sports Engineering and Technology (SportzEdge) research project. Imagined and created by research project leader and Professor of Sports Engineering Franz Fuss along with co-inventor and Master’s candidate Robert Smith, Smart Gym is a revolutionary muscle diagnostics and exercise machine that records muscle data without any sensors and provides various training modes.
In addition to being lightweight and portable, the advantages of the auto-powered machine include its ability to measure the current state of a muscle group, indicate the onset of fatigue, automatically adjust the mechanical resistance, prevent joint and muscle overload and injuries, leverage a smartphone platform and provide real-time performance feedback.
“The cheaper and the smaller the sensors are, the better it is. Having no sensors at all for measurement purposes is the best solution of all… The principle can be applied to other medical and sports equipment and even to applications in daily life such as beds, car and aircraft seats, or military use," Franz said in an article. “Everyday life will change significantly in the next decades with embedded and distributed sensors for ubiquitous and pervasive computing, connected to smartphones and iPads.”
With that shopping list of high-tech features, one would expect a substantial price tag. Yet Smart Gym is affordable, expected to be priced far cheaper than standard exercise machines.
The pitch for Smart Gym won the 2nd place prize during last year’s Australian Sports Technologies Network conference beating out 21 other entries. Having filed for a provisional patent last October, Fuss and Smith are currently working with Australian Sports Technology Ventures (ASTV) to secure investors for the project.
Smart Gym is just one of the many endeavors pursued by researchers at the Australian technology and design school as part of its Research and Innovation Plan 2011 – 2015. With the aim to create innovative solutions to transform the future, RMIT established five research focus areas including cities, health and lifestyle, sustainability and climate change, smart technology solutions, and designing the future.
Designed with fitness in mind, the high-tech Smart Gym is sure to motivate even the laziest couch potatoes and whip them into shape.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
