So this is what it’s like to be a video game character
“Risking my life jumping over a pool of bubbling hot lava was so fun,” said no one ever. But when it’s in a video game, we’d gladly do it over and over again.
Replace the pool of lava with a treadmill, and the same can be said about working out. It’s an activity most dread, but gamification can do a lot to improve the experience.
That’s exactly what local gym Ascend Fitness is trying to achieve with Exergame4D. Developed together with market entry consultancy Kilsa Global, it is a digital exercise gaming technology that gets participants moving by following digital icons on the floor. Simply put, it’s like a grown-up, 21st-century version of a certain well-loved arcade dancing game.
Instead of dance routines, however, participants follow exercise programmes that have been developed by fitness experts in two categories: Burning Kcal, and Super Boost. The former focuses on burning calories and building muscle through cardio and weight training while the latter aims to provide the maximum results in minimum time and to increase strength and endurance though high-intensity workouts. More programmes are in the works, including one for yoga and one for children.
Each Exergame4D session at Ascend Fitness takes up to 10 people at a time. Besides displaying movement icons, the digital floor also displays information such as the duration of the exercise, group challenges, scoreboard, and the profile of the participant using the particular floorboard. Every session is led by a certified personal trainer and may include equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands.
What makes Exergame4D truly innovative are the real-time motion capture and extraction technologies that it utilises. Lidar remote sensing, camera sensors, and 2D spatial calibration make it responsive to kinetic movements so that it is able to deliver a feedback to the Exergame4D app. The app functions as a progress tracker rand can also display group rankings for a little harmless competition to keep motivation up.
