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features

Augmented Reality: Refining augmented reality

London boutique The Refinery has created an avatar-led digital fitness offering called ALFI, which utilises augmented reality (AR) to demonstrate movements. Zoe Bertali, one of the co-founders of the gym, tells us more

Published in Fit Tech 2021 issue 2

Where did the idea for ALFI come from?
In 2018, boutique fitness was booming, but it seemed to be London-centric and we wanted to bring the experience to other locations in the UK. We were at the time considering the possibility of opening more bricks and mortar sites, however we believed that in order to really grow our brand and reach more people, we needed to move into the digital space.

We also wanted to be able to offer huge amounts of classes very quickly at the touch of a button. With the logic and method we have created, we can bring a new discipline to the app with hundreds of classes in around 6-8 weeks. Live video filming of this type of content would take much longer.

Why do you think an avatar is a great way to deliver fitness instruction?
In the age of endless selfies, people are under pressure to look ‘perfect’, live their ‘best’ life, always be ‘busy’, do the latest exercise in the coolest places, be seen constantly, experience everything, eat this, don’t eat that... It’s no wonder people are crumbling under the pressure and that mental health issues, stress and depression are on the rise.

Although some people may be inspired by apps showing the perfect body doing the perfect yoga or fitness practice, for most it is unattainable and inaccessible. With Refine with ALFI, it’s what’s inside that counts – the glow comes from within!

Building resilience and strength from the inside gives people the space to reconnect with what’s really important – grounding them in the moment, which has a tremendous calming effect on the entire nervous system, strengthening the immune system and the body’s ability to heal itself.

How did you develop ALFI?
We started with the two most popular disciplines at our The Refinery studio – Yoga and HIIT. We then developed and built a logic algorithm that would be used to build the classes intelligently from a minimum of 10 minutes up to 90 minutes.

We wanted the classes to be seamless, so for yoga the challenges came when we had to think about all the potential transitions between each posture and sequence. We then filmed our instructors doing the exercises using 3D motion capture. This information was then translated onto our avatar using the Unity gaming engine.

How did you design the avatar?
Initially we had the concept of making the avatar a big furry monster, but we realised that the movement and form would not be seen as clearly. We therefore developed the avatar to be a neutral humanoid shape. Eventually we may introduce the furry avatar, for fun!

Can users customise the avatar?
We’re able to introduce a lot of features, such as different avatars, accessories, and outfits. We will eventually have a lot more shapes and sizes as we grow the app.

Why did you decide to make the app AR compatible?
We were fascinated with the possibilities of using AR technology, as we felt that most other fitness apps don’t give you such a personal experience. With our app, ALFI will eventually offer you the possibility of having your personalised PT up close and personal. It also allows a completely unique way of working out by offering a 360-degree view of all poses and the class.

Will users need to wear AR glasses?
AR hardware is just around the corner! The glasses are now much more like a pair of reading glasses, so you put them on and you are able to interact with your phone without the use of a static screen. This means that ALFI will be in the room with you and you will be able to see the moves in life size.

Take a look at our teaser AR app to get an experience of this. AR is much more accessible for fitness than VR as it is less immersive and therefore you remain fully aware of your environment around you.

How do you create bespoke classes for the user?
In either Yoga or HIIT you are able to take a studio class which has been set up for you, or you can build your own class. Within the algorithm there are different levels of intensity and also focus areas, so, for instance, you could build a 20-minute Power Yoga class that has a focus on hips.

How will this digital offering complement your in-club offering?
The fundamental objective of ALFI is to inspire and motivate the individual to create a health and fitness routine that makes them feel better from the inside out. We very much see the app as a complement to members’ in-studio training programme. We will offer our members the app as a way for them to stay engaged if they are away from home, or unable to get to the studio.

Tell us about the tokens and charity aspect of the app. Why did you decide on this feature?
We created the token system as a way to still be able to offer social collaboration and recognition for the user. We use virtual rewards for achieving goals – you can use the tokens to buy classes, gift to a friend or give to charity. We wanted the karma element of giving something back when you are doing something amazing for yourself – taking care of your health!

What are your future plans and goals for ALFI?
We will be adding more disciplines in the next 12 months – including Pilates and Body Conditioning. We will also be developing new avatars and environments.

How do you think AR will change the fitness industry?
It will allow on-demand flexibility with the ability to recreate a studio experience with a personal touch.

Refine with ALFI is available now in the Apple app store

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
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The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
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When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
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features

Augmented Reality: Refining augmented reality

London boutique The Refinery has created an avatar-led digital fitness offering called ALFI, which utilises augmented reality (AR) to demonstrate movements. Zoe Bertali, one of the co-founders of the gym, tells us more

Published in Fit Tech 2021 issue 2

Where did the idea for ALFI come from?
In 2018, boutique fitness was booming, but it seemed to be London-centric and we wanted to bring the experience to other locations in the UK. We were at the time considering the possibility of opening more bricks and mortar sites, however we believed that in order to really grow our brand and reach more people, we needed to move into the digital space.

We also wanted to be able to offer huge amounts of classes very quickly at the touch of a button. With the logic and method we have created, we can bring a new discipline to the app with hundreds of classes in around 6-8 weeks. Live video filming of this type of content would take much longer.

Why do you think an avatar is a great way to deliver fitness instruction?
In the age of endless selfies, people are under pressure to look ‘perfect’, live their ‘best’ life, always be ‘busy’, do the latest exercise in the coolest places, be seen constantly, experience everything, eat this, don’t eat that... It’s no wonder people are crumbling under the pressure and that mental health issues, stress and depression are on the rise.

Although some people may be inspired by apps showing the perfect body doing the perfect yoga or fitness practice, for most it is unattainable and inaccessible. With Refine with ALFI, it’s what’s inside that counts – the glow comes from within!

Building resilience and strength from the inside gives people the space to reconnect with what’s really important – grounding them in the moment, which has a tremendous calming effect on the entire nervous system, strengthening the immune system and the body’s ability to heal itself.

How did you develop ALFI?
We started with the two most popular disciplines at our The Refinery studio – Yoga and HIIT. We then developed and built a logic algorithm that would be used to build the classes intelligently from a minimum of 10 minutes up to 90 minutes.

We wanted the classes to be seamless, so for yoga the challenges came when we had to think about all the potential transitions between each posture and sequence. We then filmed our instructors doing the exercises using 3D motion capture. This information was then translated onto our avatar using the Unity gaming engine.

How did you design the avatar?
Initially we had the concept of making the avatar a big furry monster, but we realised that the movement and form would not be seen as clearly. We therefore developed the avatar to be a neutral humanoid shape. Eventually we may introduce the furry avatar, for fun!

Can users customise the avatar?
We’re able to introduce a lot of features, such as different avatars, accessories, and outfits. We will eventually have a lot more shapes and sizes as we grow the app.

Why did you decide to make the app AR compatible?
We were fascinated with the possibilities of using AR technology, as we felt that most other fitness apps don’t give you such a personal experience. With our app, ALFI will eventually offer you the possibility of having your personalised PT up close and personal. It also allows a completely unique way of working out by offering a 360-degree view of all poses and the class.

Will users need to wear AR glasses?
AR hardware is just around the corner! The glasses are now much more like a pair of reading glasses, so you put them on and you are able to interact with your phone without the use of a static screen. This means that ALFI will be in the room with you and you will be able to see the moves in life size.

Take a look at our teaser AR app to get an experience of this. AR is much more accessible for fitness than VR as it is less immersive and therefore you remain fully aware of your environment around you.

How do you create bespoke classes for the user?
In either Yoga or HIIT you are able to take a studio class which has been set up for you, or you can build your own class. Within the algorithm there are different levels of intensity and also focus areas, so, for instance, you could build a 20-minute Power Yoga class that has a focus on hips.

How will this digital offering complement your in-club offering?
The fundamental objective of ALFI is to inspire and motivate the individual to create a health and fitness routine that makes them feel better from the inside out. We very much see the app as a complement to members’ in-studio training programme. We will offer our members the app as a way for them to stay engaged if they are away from home, or unable to get to the studio.

Tell us about the tokens and charity aspect of the app. Why did you decide on this feature?
We created the token system as a way to still be able to offer social collaboration and recognition for the user. We use virtual rewards for achieving goals – you can use the tokens to buy classes, gift to a friend or give to charity. We wanted the karma element of giving something back when you are doing something amazing for yourself – taking care of your health!

What are your future plans and goals for ALFI?
We will be adding more disciplines in the next 12 months – including Pilates and Body Conditioning. We will also be developing new avatars and environments.

How do you think AR will change the fitness industry?
It will allow on-demand flexibility with the ability to recreate a studio experience with a personal touch.

Refine with ALFI is available now in the Apple app store

Sign up here to get Fit Tech's weekly ezine and every issue of Fit Tech magazine free on digital.
Gallery
More features
Editor's letter

Into the fitaverse

Fitness is already among the top three markets in the metaverse, with new technology and partnerships driving real growth and consumer engagement that looks likely to spill over into health clubs, gyms and studios
Fit Tech people

Ali Jawad

Paralympic powerlifter and founder, Accessercise
Users can easily identify which facilities in the UK are accessible to the disabled community
Fit Tech people

Hannes Sjöblad

MD, DSruptive
We want to give our users an implantable tool that allows them to collect their health data at any time and in any setting
Fit Tech people

Jamie Buck

Co-founder, Active in Time
We created a solution called AiT Voice, which turns digital data into a spoken audio timetable that connects to phone systems
Profile

Fahad Alhagbani: reinventing fitness

Let’s live in the future to improve today
Opinion

Building on the blockchain

For small sports teams looking to compete with giants, blockchain can be a secret weapon explains Lars Rensing, CEO of Protokol
Innovation

Bold move

We ended up raising US$7m in venture capital from incredible investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, Primetime Partners, and GingerBread Capital
App analysis

Check your form

Sency’s motion analysis technology is allowing users to check their technique as they exercise. Co-founder and CEO Gal Rotman explains how
Profile

New reality

Sam Cole, CEO of FitXR, talks to Fit Tech about taking digital workouts to the next level, with an immersive, virtual reality fitness club
Profile

Sohail Rashid

35 million people a week participate in strength training. We want Brawn to help this audience achieve their goals
Ageing

Reverse Ageing

Many apps help people track their health, but Humanity founders Peter Ward and Michael Geer have put the focus on ageing, to help users to see the direct repercussions of their habits. They talk to Steph Eaves
App analysis

Going hybrid

Workout Anytime created its app in partnership with Virtuagym. Workout Anytime’s Greg Maurer and Virtuagym’s Hugo Braam explain the process behind its creation
Research

Physical activity monitors boost activity levels

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have conducted a meta analysis of all relevant research and found that the body of evidence shows an impact
Editor's letter

Two-way coaching

Content providers have been hugely active in the fit tech market since the start of the pandemic. We expect the industry to move on from delivering these services on a ‘broadcast-only’ basis as two-way coaching becomes the new USP
Fit Tech People

Laurent Petit

Co-founder, Active Giving
The future of sports and fitness are dependent on the climate. Our goal is to positively influence the future of our planet by instilling a global vision of wellbeing and a sense of collective action
Fit Tech People

Adam Zeitsiff

CEO, Intelivideo
We don’t just create the technology and bail – we support our clients’ ongoing hybridisation efforts
Fit Tech People

Anantharaman Pattabiraman

CEO and co-founder, Auro
When you’re undertaking fitness activities, unless you’re on a stationary bike, in most cases it’s not safe or necessary to be tied to a screen, especially a small screen
Fit Tech People

Mike Hansen

Managing partner, Endorphinz
We noticed a big gap in the market – customers needed better insights but also recommendations on what to do, whether that be customer acquisition, content creation, marketing and more
More features