SA fitness app pays users to work out

This article was originally published on InDaily.

Adelaide-based app development company PixelForce has been working on the project – known as Fitbotic – for the past three years.

Managing director and University of Adelaide alumnus Hinney Lo said Fitbotic used motion detection technology to track the number of repetitions a user performed through body movement recognition, without the need for additional phone accessories.

He said it was designed for people new to working out as well as those who lacked motivation – and was unlike most other fitness apps on the market that relied on users to manually input their repetitions.

“We want to encourage or help users build up their workout habits because it’s fun and rewarding,” Lo said.

“Hopefully once they have built up this habit, they can move onto a professional workout app, like SWEAT or our other clients.”

Lo founded PixelForce in 2011 with a focus on logos, graphic design and basic website construction. The company took off four years later after developing the first SWEAT mobile app for South Australian fitness guru Kayla Itsines.

PixelForce has since developed a range of apps and websites for brands across industries including wellness, food and wine, and transport.

Last year it was also recognised for attracting skilled immigrants to the state by Immigration South Australia as well as through InDaily’s 2019 40 Under 40 awards.

Lo said it was because of such recognition the company had gained further attention, growth and collaboration.

But unlike PixelForce’s other developments, Fitbotic is the company’s first fully-owned and developed initiative.

Lo said the app would reward users for working out through Fitbotic credits, which could be used to make purchases through the business’s ecommerce store or cashed out.

“You can’t cash out 10 cents, because there is a transaction fee on every transaction,” Lo said.

“We charge on a monthly basis; the app will charge $9.99 per month. If you work out consistently and you meet all your goals, technically you can get all of your money back or you can even make a little bit of money – maybe a few dollars.

“But if you are not doing great, keeping up and meeting the goals you won’t be able to earn the money back.”

He said users seeking further motivation would also be able to choose from a range of virtual trainers who would count the repetitions.

“You can actually select the level of amusement on the voice over. So, if you select 18+ it might swear a little bit, like a hardcore fitness trainer,” Lo said.

“But if you select the moderate mode it would be very encouraging.”

While the app is currently available for Apple and Android devices through the iTunes store and Google Play, the official software won’t be available until its launch in about two weeks.

The project is the latest in a string of developments from the company, which earlier this year moved into new digs in Kent Town.

It is also preparing to launch one of its other projects – EzLicense, a platform which connects driving instructors with students looking to learn to drive – in South Australia in the coming months.

“As a learner you go onto the website and put in your suburb and postcode and choose your transmission and automatic or manual and search and it will display all the instructors that are servicing in that area,” Lo said.

“EzLicense is a real-time platform that integrates with the instructors’ calendar. It shows you all the availability in real time so you don’t need an instruction or call back from the instructor, it can be booked in under two minutes.”

The platform is currently available in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

Nominations are still open for this year’s 40 Under 40 Awards with judging to commence in August before the awards are held in October.