Go-Fit

Inspiration

The United States is experiencing an epidemic, one that is far more deadly and uncontrollable: Obesity. The obesity epidemic originated around the 1990s in America and has risen exponentially in recent years. Heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions related to lack of exercise have become the leading cause of death in the United States, causing over 2.8 million deaths yearly. However, for our team, obesity means much more. Of the four members on our team, all of us have parents or close relatives diagnosed with diabetes; this motivated us to move. With new technological innovations, convenience is far too dangerous; cheap processed food can be delivered in minutes with a finger tap. Today, nearly 97% of Americans own a smartphone, and our country is becoming increasingly technology-oriented, resulting in a decreased need for physical activity. However, with this rise in technology, we have also found our solution; we introduce Go-Fit to you.

What it does

Go-Fit is an application that can be downloaded on mobile devices with GPS capabilities; similar to a fitness tracker, the Go-Fit keeps track of how far you walked and your progress within the app. However, Go-Fit is more than a simple tracker; with it, we have gamified physical activity. Randomized locations around the area are shown on the game map, and users can physically walk to this location to obtain in-game currency called Fit-Coins. These Fit-Coins are exchangeable for in-game items like Fit-Buddies or real-life products like gift cards or active wear found in local businesses. Fit-Buddies are special characters that grant players powerups to obtain Fit-Coins better and further incentivize players to collect and complete a collection of Fit-Buddies.

How we built it

Go-Fit was built using leading technologies in the mobile app development industry, including React-Native, Expo, and JavaScript. Along with these frameworks, Go-Fit utilized the Google Maps API to enable high-precision user tracking to detect whether the user has entered a region. The Geolib library was used to calculate user distance, velocity, and geolocation to track the user's actions for the app's proper functionality. The same library was also used to generate random regions based on the user's location. Using React-Native as our framework was beneficial because it allowed us to create a multi-platform app that can be accessed and utilized with full functionality for iOS and Android. The cross-platform flexibility helped reduce production time, enabling us to finish the app's development within the timeframe.

Challenges we ran into

We ran into several challenges during the development of the Go-Fit, specifically with the geolocation services and creating the functionality of the regions. Creating randomized parts was difficult as it produced multiple edge cases where the areas would overlap with the user's location causing bugs. To solve this issue, we had to calculate the radii of the regions and perform multiple checks to ensure each part generated was distanced from the user and in a place accessible by the user. With this calculated approach, the result was a more consistent generation of areas, allowing the user to have a satisfactory experience with minimal bugs. Another problem we encountered was managing and balancing the currency/shop system, which required multiple tests to ensure that each item was priced accurately. The game's progression was just proper to ensure user retention while maintaining the achievability of obtaining each item.

Accomplishments we're proud of

Within the 36 hours we were given to work on this project, we are proud to say that we have created a fully functional application accessible through mobile devices that shows our initial idea. The GPS in Go-Fit is completed, and users can start earning Fit-Coins by going to the randomized regions shown on the map. Furthermore, Go-Fit has five unique characters for users to collect and purchase through the shop. The shop also offers accurate life items exchangeable through Fit-Coins and level-ups for characters.

What we learned

From ideation to development to implementation, Go-Fit has challenged us to not only think about the possibility of creating a functional application to improve physical wellness but has also presented us with the question: How can we make exercising fun again? Why do many physical wellness apps exist on the market today? Most only measures and track the user’s physical activities daily but do not motivate the user to continue with physical exercise in a goal-oriented manner. However, for Go-Fit, we have provided both location randomization (meaning that users have to run/walk to a specific area to collect the FitCoins) and incentives like Fit-Buddies and Fit-Products for all Go-Fitters to spend their Fit-Coins. We have learned about application development, location randomization, specific layering, GPS monitoring, and using the device’s internal accelerometer readings to detect shaking which represents walking/running.

What’s next for GoFit

We have a fully functional application that gives the user an incentive to exercise and a goal-oriented system to translate their Fit-Coins into expendable goods from small businesses around the country. However, we will like to improve on the selection of FitBuddies, the translation of Go-Fit Teams for increased competition (introducing new concepts like “area contesting,” “event bonuses,” etc.), and additional physical-wellness markers —besides only walking/running accelerometer readings—to help individuals better track their progression in Go-Fit. Furthermore, we would like to incorporate a personalizable and compatible interface that users can use for Go-Fit to track their progress more accurately (including compatibility with fitness watches, wearable meters, etc.). Go-Fit will also like to launch globally (on both iOS and Android) as an initiative for all users to improve the gamified version of exercising. Next, we would want to partner with many more small businesses to help local society and committed users. While Go-Fit was initially conceptualized and developed to prove the validity of introducing a gamified fitness app, additional app development surrounding aesthetics and functionality can be made and improved for the future of Go-Fit and its users.