Express News Service
Now you will be able to ask your (smart) mirror, who’s the fittest of them all? And this smart mirror, aka Portl, promises not to lie. In fact, it is going to put out harsh truths about your blood pressure, glucose, ECG, respiratory rate etc. What’s more, it will even teach you how to do a dumbbell curve and the exact pec the arm should go up to. Indraneel Gupta, Founder and CEO, and Vishal Chandapeta, Founder and CTO of this Hyderabad-based startup, claim the device, which was launched late last month in Hyderabad, will soon replace the personal trainer.
Portl is a smart mirror that weighs 40 kg and comes with a 43-inch screen that can be wall-mounted or fixed on the floor. It is equipped with embedded bio-sensors, an HD camera, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and runs on special software. The device also comes with bio-sensors that measure a user’s vitals and much more. The user can tune into live workouts—yoga, Zumba, cardio etc—throughout the day, and a few pre-recorded sessions for late night. As the user works out, the voice-enabled AI system, as well as a visual display on the mirror screen, will guide them. “We take our workouts seriously. For example, if the user is not sitting back enough during a squat, the machine will not count it as a rep. The user has to meet 85 percent of the set parameters for the rep to be counted as part of the workout,” explains Gupta.
Gupta and Chandapeta have previously worked in the fitness industry, which helped them understand the customer pain points and overall fitness patterns. “With the rise in home workouts due to the pandemic, yet with no app or platform giving the complete experience, we decided to bring out Portl,” they say. The team spent a lot of time researching the engagement and motivational aspects of staying committed to fitness and making healthier choices daily. “Portl gives you access to hundreds of workouts, on-demand and live across HIIT, strength, dance fitness, yoga etc,” explains Gupta.
Portl—priced at Rs 90,000 and Rs 500 per month for the workout subscriptions—has orders from Hyderabad and Bengaluru now. Within the Portl system, they have used gaming and engagement mechanisms to help users stay consistent, motivated and focused. The AI engine enables users to adjust programmes based on their movement metrics; the real-time form-feedback mechanisms help perform activities with the correct technique, Chandapeta elaborates.
What about prevention of fatal collapses while doing workouts? “When the user buys the device, the health assessment, fitness goals, workout patterns are kept in mind to onboard the user with customised settings. This prevents such mishaps,” concludes Gupta.
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