The Health and Fitness Companion
The Health and Fitness Advisor will keep track of your diet, encourage and monitor your exercise, and help set appropriate fitness goals, communicating by conversational dialogue, touch screens and sensors.
In the first prototypes we have focused on dialogues where the user gives the Companion background information, such as current exercise and eating habits. Based on this, the Companion will provide the user information on healthier eating habits (including how to cook healthier food), and how these relate to various fitness activities. Typically, the user and the Companion make an overall plan for the whole day, and there can be more detailed conversations during the day.
Video: First Version
The video shows the first version of the Health and Fitness Companion. Watch the video (YouTube)
The Health and Fitness Companion supports healthy eating habits and fitness activities by maintaining records of user's health-related, eating, and exercise information over a long time. Based on this, the Companion provides the user information on healthy eating habits, including how to cook such a food, and how these relate to various fitness activities.
The demonstration uses a Wi-Fi enabled Nabaztag rabbit to interact with the users. It communicates with the user primarily by using and understanding speech, but also using other technologies such as RFID sensors.
Talking to a Companion
The first prototype is capable of having a dialogue with the user covering all daily meals. The following dialogue excerpt of a conversation between Markku and his Companion gives an example of the current system.
Markku: (Touches the Companion with the RFID-tag)
Companion: Hi Markku! How are you doing today?
Markku: I'm fine, thank you
Companion: How about taking a look at your eating habits?
Markku: Sure, why not
Companion: Would you say yesterday was an average day?
Markku: Yes, I guess so
Companion: What time did you wake up?
Markku: At seven o'clock
Companion: Do you usually wake up around seven in the morning?
Markku: No, usually around 8 in the morning
Companion: What did you eat and drink between getting up and going to work?
Markku: Some coffee and juice
Companion: Did you eat something between getting up and going to work?
Markku: Yes, I had toast
Companion: Did you have milk or sugar in your coffee?
Markku: Yes, both milk and sugar
The current implementation uses a unique combination of spoken dialogue system technology and physical Nabaztag/tag rabbits. In the future prototypes, cooking and physical exercises will be incorporated, including a mobile Companion that provides feedback and advice during physical activities, such as jogging exercises.
Updated: 05 December 2007 10:47 AM