Obesity has become a common diagnosis, which means that more persons are at greater risk of major health complications. Hence, this final-year project focused on developing an application intended to assist individuals (more specifically, beginners) in learning how to perform physical exercises with the help of augmented reality (AR).
The proposed application is divided into 3 main sections, each offering a different method in helping the user follow a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of the ’Muscle Finder’ section aims to inform readers about the functions of each muscle in the human body. Additionally, it includes a built-in feature that would propose specific exercises to help the user better target the relevant muscle.
The second section of the app is called ‘Learn an Exercise’, which allows users to search for any exercise they would like to learn. Upon having selected an exercise, a page containing instructions as to how to perform it would appear on the user’s screen. Furthermore, this section also offers the option to enable the user’s camera to display an AR visualisation of the selected exercise. This was achieved by having a 3D model perform the exercise superimposed on the real world with the help of a game engine.
In the ‘Create your Routine’ section, users could construct custom workout routines that would be tailored to their needs. The user would be given the option to select which exercises to add and how frequently they should be performed. Along with the ability to name the routine, this selection also includes a day selector. Thus, the user would be able to plan a routine for specific days and remain active throughout the week.
Following the completion of a survey and evaluation of the app, participants demonstrated a stronger interest in learning exercises through the proposed application. They also pointed out that they felt it helped them keep in shape, thus feeling further motivated to exercise more frequently.
Figure 1. The homepage of the proposed application
Figure 2. Augmented reality visualisation of one of the exercises
Student: Shaun Attard
Supervisor: Dr Peter A. Xuereb