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Virtual Course, Real Sweat July 1, 2001 - Article in part by Ben Delaney - Computer Graphics World
FitCentric's latest product, NetAthlon, provides LAN and Internet connectivity, and more sophisticated AI functions along with 3D graphics, by computer artist Philip Rauso, Jr. The graphics Rauso created even show jiggling scenery in "first-person mode" as the user/rider's head bobs up and down. A user can also choose third-person mode, in which the camera follows the user, or TV mode, in which the system changes camera shots in much the same way that a TV director would during a live race. To keep the workout interesting, the user can choose to have other runners on the track, and each can be programmed separately. There can be a fast "rabbit" leading the pack, and a group of others to add a sense of competitive realism. In fact, the athletes even hear the breathing of nearby competitors, and the cheering of the crowd as they pass the grandstand.
NetAthlon runs on a standard PC with a 3D graphics accelerator, and when connected via Ethernet can support competitive racing among people on different machines in different locations. FitCentric has teamed up with the fitness Web site, FitnessHeaven.com, which provides an on-line meeting place for people looking for race partners. The interface to many exercise machines are bi-directional, so that when you are going up a hill on the course, your treadmill will slant up, or your bike will provide greater resistance. The system costs $90 for the software, and is included with some training systems, requiring only a connection to the user's PC. It connects to many rowing ma chines, treadmills, steppers, and bikes, and can be retrofitted to a bike training stand for less than $200. The logging functions evaluate a user's stated goal, such as a 5K, marathon, or Ironman race, and measure strength, calories burned, heart rate, and speed, compiling a detailed training plan to help athletes meet their goals. If desired, the system can email a report to a coach. |
FitCentric's proprietary software stands out
because of its AI capabilities, which makes the simulation seem more
realistic by providing autonomous competition from computer-generated
competitors, and by planning workouts to optimize the athlete's training
regimen. The course and contestants are all fully 3D modeled and
rendered under Microsoft's DirectX API for good performance on Windows
machines. Every object on screen is texture-mapped, including the course backgrounds.
Distance culling, the use of reduced-polygon models for objects far from
the viewer, keeps imagery moving at a swift frame rate, depending on the computer configuration.
FitCentric currently offers 50 different
courses, about half of which are based on real locations such as the
Colorado Springs Olympic Velodrome. There is also a Field of Dreams
fantasy course, in which a user might enter a covered bridge in New
England, and exit into the Arizona desert, among other surprise venues.