How to add digital capabilities to existing fitness equipment

Connected fitness is often associated with newly designed machines, built from the beginning around sensors, displays and software. But existing fitness equipment can also become connected.

By adding the right combination of sensors, electronics, displays and software, manufacturers can introduce digital capabilities without completely redesigning the mechanical equipment.

This approach can open up new possibilities for both manufacturers and users. Equipment can provide measurable performance data, interactive experiences, real-time feedback and digital training guidance while keeping the underlying machine largely unchanged.

But connecting an existing machine is not as simple as adding a sensor and putting a screen next to it. The technology needs to reflect how the equipment moves, what the athlete needs to know and what the manufacturer wants the machine to achieve.

At MoveLab Studio, we work across these different layers to turn physical equipment into connected fitness experiences. Our work with Dr. Wolff is one example of how existing machines can be given new digital capabilities.

Start with the movement, not the sensor

Before choosing a sensor, it is important to understand what the machine actually needs to measure. The first questions are not necessarily technical. They are about the athlete and the movement:

• What does the athlete need to know?

• Which part of the movement is important?

• Does the user need real-time feedback?

• Does the machine need to recognize a complete movement or exercise?

• How precise does the measurement need to be?

• Will the data simply be displayed, or will it control an interactive experience?

The answers determine what type of sensing technology is appropriate.

A machine may only need to know whether a movement has happened. Another may need continuous information about position, speed or range of motion. In other cases, the system may need enough data to create a feedback loop between the athlete's movement and what appears on the screen. This is why understanding the physical movement and the desired user experience comes before selecting the hardware.

Choosing the right sensor

There is no single sensor that works for every piece of fitness equipment.

For one of the Dr. Wolff projects, MoveLab used a laser time-of-flight sensor to measure movement. The original sensor selection was based on the need for a high-frequency measurement, initially targeting applications where rapid movement data was important.

During development, however, the sensor was tuned to operate at a lower frequency. This helped reduce noise and create smoother operation for the visual feedback shown to the user.

The sensor needs to produce data that is useful for the application. A higher data rate can be valuable in some applications, but if it introduces unnecessary noise or does not improve the user experience, it may not be the right choice.

Integrating sensors into existing equipment

Once the sensing requirements are understood, the next challenge is physical integration.

Adding a sensor to an existing machine requires collaboration between the technology team and the equipment manufacturer. Together, they need to determine:

• Where the sensor can be positioned

• What it needs to measure

• Whether its position affects accuracy

• How it can be protected during use

• What power it requires

• How it can communicate with the rest of the system

• Whether existing electronics can be used

• Whether changes to the machine are required

Sensor placement can have a significant impact on the quality of the data. The sensor needs a reliable reference point and must be positioned so that the movement being measured can be captured consistently.

The physical environment matters too. Fitness equipment is exposed to repeated movement, vibration and regular interaction from users. A sensor that works well in a controlled development environment still needs to work reliably on the finished machine.

Turning raw sensor data into meaningful information

A sensor does not automatically understand an exercise. It produces measurements, which then need to be processed and interpreted by the software.

What those measurements become depends on the purpose of the machine. The system might need to recognize movement, repetitions, range of motion, speed, position or exercise completion.

The Dr. Wolff machines are a good example. Their sensors can measure the user's range of motion to determine whether they are performing an exercise within the required movement range. The system can also count repetitions based on the movement being performed. It can go further than simply counting every movement. If the required range of motion is not completed correctly, that repetition can be excluded from the count.

This is particularly important for physiotherapy equipment, where performing an exercise correctly and within the prescribed range of motion can be more important than simply completing a certain number of repetitions. In this case, the sensor is not just measuring activity. It is providing information that can help determine whether the movement meets the requirements of the exercise.

From data to a connected experience

Once the equipment can produce meaningful data, the next question is what happens to that information. Does the athlete see their movement in real time? Is their performance recorded? Can a trainer review it later? Can the data be used to provide guidance or create an interactive experience?

This is where MoveLab Connect comes in. The platform provides the software layer for presenting, recording, storing and sharing data from connected equipment.

Depending on the project, this can include user interfaces, workout information, analytics, exercise guidance and integrations with other parts of the fitness ecosystem.

The important distinction is that connectivity does not end when the data is collected. The data needs to be turned into something useful for the person using the machine.

What kind of screen can be added?

The display is another part of the connected experience. For built-in fitness equipment displays, MoveLab generally prefers Android because it provides a versatile platform for creating and managing interactive user interfaces. It can support applications, media, connectivity and different types of user experiences within the same device.

However, Android is not the only option. Custom displays and other display technologies can also be used depending on the equipment, environment and requirements of the project.

What does adding a sensor actually give you?

Adding sensing capabilities gives a machine something it did not have before: the ability to measure what is happening during use.

Depending on the application, this can enable:

• More measurable performance

• Exercise and repetition recognition

• Range of motion tracking

• Real-time feedback

• Interactive experiences

• Performance tracking

• Digital guidance

• Progress monitoring

The possibilities depend on what the machine is designed to measure and what the resulting data is used for.

For a physiotherapy machine, this could mean recognizing whether a movement meets the required range. For a fitness machine, it could mean tracking performance or creating an interactive workout. The same principle applies: the technology should serve a specific user or training need.

The part manufacturers often underestimate

Connecting the machine is only the beginning. Once equipment becomes digitally connected, it becomes part of a wider ecosystem. Users and trainers may expect workout history, progress tracking, profiles, integrations, new exercises, updated content, analytics or additional feedback.

This means manufacturers need to consider the longer-term digital product, not only the initial connected feature. A successful connected machine therefore needs a software layer that can support the experience as it develops. The technology should leave room for new features and requirements rather than treating connectivity as a one-time addition.

Connecting existing equipment without starting from scratch

Adding digital capabilities to existing fitness equipment can extend the functionality of a machine without completely redesigning its mechanical foundation.

The process starts by understanding the movement and the user. From there, the right sensing technology can be selected, integrated into the equipment and connected to software that turns the resulting data into something useful.

The Dr. Wolff project demonstrates how this can work in practice. Rather than replacing the existing machines, MoveLab worked together with the equipment manufacturer to add sensors, displays and the software required to make the machines measurable, interactive and digitally connected.

For manufacturers looking to introduce connected capabilities to an existing product, the first question may therefore not be "Do we need a new machine?"

It may be:

"What could our existing machine do if it could understand movement?"