Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

WUTZ

Trailerscope

Year

2015

Type

Interactive system

My expertise

Overcoming your inner couch potato through play

Many people struggle with their own motivation. It’s often easier to give advice to others than to start working out yourself. WUTZ is an avatar that you coach playfully during your workout — and in doing so, you’re really coaching yourself.

In psychology, this is referred to as projection:our own desires are reflected in someone else. WUTZ picks up on this mechanism and turns it into a playful fitness concept.

At the heart of the project is a smart dumbbell that connects to an app via Bluetooth through a wearable. During workouts, minigames are controlled that help the avatar WUTZ grow and evolve. The more you train, the stronger the avatar becomes — and the more tangible the user’s own motivation feels. In this way, fitness turns into an interactive game that challenges your inner resistance while making exercise fun.
Different body types of the avatar Different body types of the avatar
Different facial expressions of the avatar Different facial expressions of the avatar

From wuss to workout buddy

The avatar is the central design element of the app. It follows a reduced, cartoon-like aesthetic with clear shapes and bold colors, conveying a sense of humor and lightness — in line with the playful character of WUTZ.

From the very beginning, it was designed to remain flexible:body proportions and emotions can be adjusted and expressed with ease. Its simple visual language and minimalist facial expressions make it possible to communicate training progress and emotional states clearly, intuitively, and in an entertaining way.

Technology & App

The app features a clean and minimal design:the avatar acts as the central menu and playfully displays training progress. Hotspots highlight muscle groups that are activated through minigames. After each workout, the avatar visibly grows — providing motivating feedback for the user.
Technically, the prototype is based on an Arduino Mini, a 9-axis gyroscope sensor for motion tracking, and a Bluetooth module. A rechargeable battery powers the device, while LEDs and switches extend the interaction. The housing was designed in Autodesk Inventor, 3D-printed, and carefully refined by hand.
The wearable
The wearable in use
In-game footage from the app
Project documentation
Excerpt from the accompanying project documentation
Prototype development

Ausstellungen