24 Jul 2020
AI startup launches virtual fitness coach that 'never lets users cheat'
BY Tom Walker
A new virtual exercise app promises to provide an experience that is "as close as possible" to a personal training session led by a human instructor.
Fitness Ally – created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialist Twenty Billion Neurons (TwentyBN) – features a virtual fitness coach, Allie, which uses the front-facing camera of Apple devices to enable her to "see" and interact with users in real-time as they work out.
In contrast to most AI fitness apps, which count repetitions or measure a user's approximate body position, Fitness Ally is based on an AI system developed using millions of videos showing humans working out.
This allows the system to detect the smallest differences in effort and intensity that users put into their respective workouts.
The system is based on TwentyBN's humanoid AI platform which lets AI assistants better understand user behaviour, using a consumer camera and microphone as the assistant's "eyes and ears."
As a result, the virtual coach "Allie" can hold users accountable just like a real personal trainer – making it almost impossible for users to "cheat" during workouts.
"There is nothing more motivating than having someone around who acknowledges and remembers the hard work you are doing when you exercise," says Roland Memisevic, co-founder and CEO of TwentyBN.
"Our thesis is that an AI companion qualifies perfectly well as that 'someone', as long as it is sufficiently aware of your behaviours and the environment you're in to convey a real physical presence in your space – and to give you that extra nudge when it senses you need it."
TwentyBN's platform has previously been deployed in the automotive and retail industries, where it has powered – among others – a visually interactive sales assistant.
The company describes Fitness Ally as the "first showcase" of its AI technology on widely available mobile devices. It has been made available on most recent iPhones (iPhone 8 and up) and iPads
"I was drawn to Fitness Ally because it makes fitness stress-free and accessible," says Sadie Kurzban, founder and CEO of 305 Fitness in New York City and an advisor to TwentyBN.
"As a leader in the fitness industry for a decade, I can confidently say this is game-changing technology that allows users to access the support of a trainer at a fraction of the price."
TwentyBN is a Microsoft M12-backed artificial intelligence startup aiming to make personalised coaching accessible to all people.
In 2018, it raised US$10m in Series A funding, led by M12 with participation from Coparion, Creative Edge, and MFV Partners.
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