SmartGym

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Inspiration

In early January, we identified a surge in gym members due to the New Year's resolution effect. This has led to a significant increase in demand for gym equipment, causing long wait times and making it challenging to find available equipment for an optimal workout experience. These extended wait times have resulted in decreased motivation among gym members, as they view the gym as an unpleasant and unproductive experience. Our observation shows that this has resulted in a decline in the number of people attending the gym over time. We aim to address this issue by providing a solution that helps gym members to optimize their workouts and reduce wait times, thereby improving their gym experience and overall motivation to exercise.

What it does

SmartGym is a gym equipment attachment that utilizes technology to track users' workout data, including the number of repetitions and sets to complete each exercise. This data is then seamlessly integrated with a mobile app, allowing users to monitor their progress in real-time and gain valuable insights into their fitness routine. In addition, SmartGym's app enables users to view which machines are currently available and in use at the gym, helping them to optimize their workout sessions and minimize wait times. With SmartGym, you can take your fitness goals to the next level and enjoy a smarter, more efficient workout experience.

How we built it

Our team developed a comprehensive fitness solution that combines both hardware and software components. We utilized the Arduino platform to build a hardware attachment that tracks the number of sets and repetitions performed by the user. The device includes three buttons for easy navigation and user input, along with a proximity detector sensor that can detect when a user has completed a rep. Once the workout is complete, the device prompts the user with a message confirming that the workout is done and notifies other gym members that the equipment is available. To complement the hardware component, we developed a mobile app using React Native that provides users with a simple and intuitive interface to track equipment availability in real-time. We wanted to create the app to integrate with the hardware device, allowing users to connect their workout data to the app via Bluetooth. The app displays the number of reps completed by the user, allowing other gym members to gauge how busy the gym is and plan their workouts accordingly. With our fitness solution, gym members can experience a more efficient and enjoyable workout experience.

Challenges we ran into

The bluetooth communication was much harder to set up than we thought it'd be. It took a long time to get the HC05 module to even connect with the phone, and we cycled through numerous libraries that were compatible with both Bluetooth and React Native. Even when we found the right library, we still couldn’t get the phone to read data from the Arduino Bluetooth device, and we eventually had to settle on mock data to get everything working.

Almost everyone on the team was new to hardware too, and it took a while before we could familiarize ourselves with the numerous hardware components.

React Native was also a first for us. We chose it because it could potentially interface with both Android and Apple phone devices. Even though we ended up choosing an Android phone for development (since Apple had issues connecting to the Bluetooth module), we learned and leveraged the use of Expo Go and the hot reloading capabilities of the React Native Framework.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Finishing the hardware set / rep tracker smart device. This was our bare-bones minimum requirement for our project. As this was a hardware hackathon, we wanted to give users something they could interact with. This was also the primary way we’d get info that the user was interacting with the machine.

Learning React Native in less than 24 hours. Learning a new framework isn’t an easy task (especially with all the compatibility and tweaks we have to search for online!), and we’re proud to have somewhat mastered it.

Establishing a connection with the only Bluetooth module we had. Despite not fully finishing this feature before the deadline, we still learned a lot from this experience, including how to find the right library interface on GitHub, how to debug hardware, and how to look up specific guides on Google to find what we were looking for.

What we learned

Our team gained valuable insights throughout the course of this project, particularly in the areas of mobile app development, proximity sensor detector and Bluetooth communication. Through our use of the React Native framework, we discovered an efficient cross-platform solution for rapidly deploying mobile apps on both IOS and Android operating systems. However, we also encountered challenges in implementing Bluetooth communication, which proved to be a complex and demanding process. One key takeaway from our experience was the importance of seeking help and mentorship when facing technical obstacles, particularly in the early stages of a project. In retrospect, we realized that we could have leveraged additional resources and support to accelerate our progress and overcome the hurdles we encountered. This project also reinforced the need to approach new technologies with a measured perspective, taking into account the specific complexities and requirements of each individual tool or platform. While some technologies may be relatively straightforward to implement, others may demand a greater level of expertise and support. Moving forward, our team will be more diligent in assessing the unique demands of each technology we utilize, and seek out the necessary resources to ensure successful execution.

What's next for SmartGym

In the future, our team is committed to advancing our fitness solution to provide even greater value to gym members. We plan to leverage our existing technology to develop a personalized workout plan for each member based on their machine usage data, including reps and weights for each lift. By analyzing this data, we can tailor workout plans to the specific needs and goals of each member, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of their fitness routine. In addition to personalized workout plans, we aim to implement voice control capabilities, enabling users to simply say "Hey SmartGym" to request information on their progress and update their current gym data. With this cutting-edge feature, gym members can enjoy a truly hands-free workout experience, while still maintaining accurate tracking of their fitness progress. Our team remains dedicated to innovating our fitness solution with the ultimate goal of helping individuals achieve their fitness objectives in the most effective and convenient manner possible.

Built With

• android
• arduino
• bluetooth
• lcd
• potentiometer
• proximity-sensor
• react-native