People
“This is the first time people will be able to see a photo-realistic 3D model of themselves on their smartphones”
Caroline Pugh Co-founder, VirtualU
A
3D body scanner created by students at Virginia Tech University in the US has been launched to help gym
users track their changing body shape as their fitness improves. Users step into the VFit scanner,
create a profi le on the touch panel inside and get a 10-second scan. They can then download an app for their mobile or go online to view a photo-realistic model of their body. As they get fi tter, they can scan their body over time, gradually building up a picture of how their stomach fl attens or muscles increase. The technology was originally devised
as a tool for online shoppers to see how clothes would fi t their body, but the company recently decided to switch its focus to health and fi tness. “We realised the potential to make a
lot of impact in multiple markets,” says Caroline Pugh, who founded the business with Louis Cirillo. “The amount of data we collect on the human body allows us to calculate biometric measurements that some other technologies in the fi tness market can’t – or at least, not with the accuracy we can.” With 24 million points of reference in
the scan, and accuracy to within 1.2mm, VFit means gym goers no longer have to go through extensive assessments to monitor their progress, says Pugh:
“This is the fi rst time people will be able to see a photo-realistic 3D model of themselves on their smartphones.” For health and fi tness operators,
the system would validate the gym’s effectiveness, she adds: “For example, PTs can use our technology to pinpoint down to the millimetre if someone has gained muscle in a certain area, to show that the regimen is working.” VirtualU secured US$625k of funding in April following a trial in a handful of
12 Caroline Pugh in the VFit scanner, which is accurate to within 1.2mm
gyms across south-west Virginia, and the scanner is now scheduled to launch into the Washington DC and New York City markets in Q3 of this year. There are also plans to integrate with
wearable technologies, providing the user with, in Pugh’s words, a “dashboard for your body” for fi tness tracking.
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital Looking ahead, the aim is to get more
operators on board. “We’re looking forward to working with larger gym chains and expanding regionally across the US,” says Pugh. “The goal is to have everyone in the US within driving distance of one of our VFit scanners.” Details:
www.virtualu.co ●
July 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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