AI boxing sandbag Bhout has received tens of millions of financing, and he can sweat and burn fat without going out

Every year, Time magazine publishes its list of the year's best inventions, and this year is no exception.

At the end of October, Time selected the 200 most creative inventions of 2023, and in addition to the well-known ChatGPT, a boxing sandbag called "Bhout" was also on this list.

This is the first boxing sandbag with artificial intelligence and is equipped with a 3D vision camera that can measure the precision, power, speed and technology of each strike in less than 250 milliseconds.

Mauro Frota, founder and CEO of Bhout, said he wants to gamify fitness boxing through artificial intelligence, rather than a task on a to do list. Let's start with the story of Mauro Frota.

01.“ Boxing punching bags that will think

Mauro Frota graduated in Sports Science in Lisbon and has more than 22 years of experience in the fitness industry, where he trained in martial arts, starting with traditional karate, then moving into taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and finally mixed martial arts.

In 2019, Frota began to lead his team in research and development, and in the summer of 2021, Frota opened the first Bhout fitness boxing club in Lisbon, which quickly gained a following, and in just two years, Bhout had more than 600 customers, more than 70% of whom were women.

Now, Frota plans to expand and sell Bhout bags to other fitness operators such as gyms, corporate offices and hotels, and hopes to open more studios in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Spain and the UK.

Just recently, Bhout announced a €10 million seed round of investment. "We are very excited about this milestone, especially since this is one of the largest seed rounds for a FitTech startup", he wrote, "The celebration is over, and it's time to go back and do something special." ”

Frota hopes to combine fitness, gaming, and artificial intelligence to develop the first "thinking" boxing punching bag. Frota also confirmed that AI coaching is in development and that AI guidance techniques and data development are being taught.

02. Not only a gym punching bag, but also a game

As the world's first AI-enabled punching bag, Bhout uses machine learning to constantly "challenge and motivate you" and even match your combat intensity to your mood. However, what makes the Bhout Bag stand out is not only its fitness function as a sandbag, but also its unique features and advantages.

Artificial Intelligence "Punching Bag"

After six years of design and development, the upgraded Bhout Bag resembles a real human body, with each layer highly similar to body tissues such as muscles, bones, and skin. The outer layer is made of organic material (minus the spiked cactus) to mimic human skin, while the inner core is made up of 85% water, with a core bag that absorbs vibrations and a medium-to-high-density foam that surrounds the core to ensure safety against every impact.

The Bhout Bag also supports 180º rotation so that exercisers can do a full range of strength training. Sensors on the bag are able to calculate the power and position of each impact and generate data that allows exercisers to improve their workout through the app. In addition to this, exercisers can use the app to create a suitable training regimen and even generate a "boxing map" to show where the bags hit the most.

Gamified Fitness

Many Gen Z consumers are tired of the traditional concept of fitness and expect to enjoy fitness while also enjoying it in games and entertainment, so health and fitness brands have been working hard to change the way consumers engage with fitness activities. Unfortunately, augmented reality (AR) boxing currently on the market does not fit the reality of martial arts, and virtual experience boxing cannot meet the needs of consumers.

It's clear that Bhout recognizes this problem, and its realistic feel and data-driven approach provide consumers with a gamified fitness experience that is a unique blend of fitness and gaming.

Inspired by video games, Bhout Bag builds on video games with different color and music combinations for each training and intensity, which helps to increase player motivation. **The Bhout app also sets up competitive rankings and tracking, allowing Bhouters to start a new "battle" anytime, anywhere. **

For every STRK routine completed, Bhouters receive the blockchain-backed token Jab$ – a true "sweat-to-earn" reward system. Its unique competitive mechanism further incentivizes exercisers to participate more, allowing them to earn Bhout in-app tokens and rewards while exercising.

In addition to this, Bhouters can also become trainers and earn tokens from the community. It provides an open-source platform for content creators in the fitness space, allowing them to reach new customers in new ways. Boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, and even non-fighting games that work on coordination and speed, STRK Routines offer users endless opportunities to connect with the community.

By integrating AI technology and gaming elements, Bhout provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the fitness equipment industry, and also creates a unique intelligent and gamified fitness experience for every fitness enthusiast.

03.Do smart fitness products meet people's expectations?

Indeed, smart fitness products have attracted much attention in recent years. However, can the popularity really meet people's expectations?

From the leadership of fitness bloggers, to the rise and fall of smart fitness equipment, to the intervention of OpenAI, the development of smart fitness products has experienced ups and downs.

Fitness equipment is "dusting"?

Thanks to the popularity of well-known fitness bloggers such as Pamela, keywords such as "fat loss" and "body shaping" have frequently appeared on social media platforms. Many netizens have bought home fitness equipment such as yoga mats, dumbbells, and elliptical machines, eager to create a personal fitness corner at home through these various equipment to achieve body management goals. Especially during the epidemic, many people set out to create "home fitness freedom", and even purchased a complete set of fitness equipment.

However, reality is often a distance from the ideal, and the "three-minute heat" has become the status quo for most people.

On the one hand, a variety of fitness equipment has been planted with the intention of exercising, and on the other hand, it is difficult to find the right time and space at home to make the most of this equipment due to various reasons. Therefore, after this shopping boom, the enthusiasm for fitness has gradually been lost in real life, and the purchased fitness equipment has also been reduced to a deserted "dust" item.

AI enters the fitness field

Traditional gym equipment is often considered heavy and clumsy, and it is best to use it in a professional venue with professional instruction. Therefore, the new intervention of smart fitness products has undoubtedly injected new vitality into this field. In addition to established companies such as Keep, some new fitness methods have also begun to emerge, such as the German brand ICAROS, which launched its "gamified fitness" concept of VR motorcycle fitness, planet fitness and other products.

Not only that, more than 10 companies such as FITURE and FITMORE have also set foot in the market of fitness unicorn Peloton, and have launched a series of smart fitness products, covering fitness mirrors, smart fitness wearable devices and other fields.

Maigoo: Top 10 Smart Fitness Mirror Rankings

In this trend, OpenAI, one of the biggest AI dark horse companies of the year, has also joined the camp of smart fitness products. In its product in partnership with WHOOP, users can enjoy highly personalized health recommendations and exercise regimens generated by the GPT-4 system, bringing the fitness process closer to individual needs.

In this fiercely competitive environment, Bhout not only created the original "AI + boxing", but also built an offline boxing training gym in the early days of its establishment. With the continuous improvement of AI systems and rich fitness content, Bhout and other AI fitness products may be expected to become the leader in leading smart life.

04.Towards the era of rational intelligent fitness?

It must be acknowledged that the fitness industry is undergoing unprecedented changes with the integration of AI technology.

According to Forbes, the smart fitness market is expected to reach nearly $43 billion by 2027. This means that people's expectations for smart fitness equipment and products are still there. And now is just the beginning, in the future, there may be new products such as weightlifting equipment and drill classes on the market.

Whether it is the innovation of "AI + boxing" or the emergence of more robot coaches, smart fitness is leading us to a rational and dynamic era.

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Source: Golden Finance