Peloton’s First Voice Assistant Arrives With New Peloton Guide Smart Camera
Peloton has begun shipping the voice-controlled Peloton Guide smart camera exercise system. The set-top device for strength training is Peloton’s first to incorporate a voice assistant, a feature anticipated since the fitness tech giant acquired industrial voice tech startup Aiqudo a little over a year ago.
Peloton Guide
The Peloton Guide combines a set-top camera and heart rate band for $495, plus a $13 a month membership fee. Besides the camera and heart rate tracker, Peloton Guide users can bring their own weights and other equipment to any of the hundreds of virtual classes the Guide displays on their television. The camera’s software uses machine learning to track user movements and calculate their progress compared to the instructor without extra sensors, a bit like Facebook Portal or the defunct Microsoft Kinect video game system. The AI also suggests classes to take based on what muscle groups the user has exercised lately. Peloton refers to the whole system as a “connected strength product.”
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the interest in our strength content explode,” Peloton co-founder and chief product officer Tom Cortese, Peloton’s said. “Peloton Guide demystifies strength training to create a more engaging experience that will help Members stay motivated. We combined our world-class Instructors and class content with the best machine learning technology to create a whole new way to train. This is just the beginning for Peloton strength. Guide will keep getting smarter so it can grow stronger alongside our Members.”
Peloton Voice
The Guide comes with a remote, but there’s also an in-built voice assistant, which users can activate by saying, “OK, Peloton.” Users can issue commands to start and stop classes, navigate through them, switch among different view modes and adjust settings like volume. Aiqudo’s white-label voice assistant probably set the foundation for the voice AI of the Peloton Guide. The adaptation was probably relatively straightforward since most of Aiqudo’s developer team joined Peloton at the time.
Peloton’s first interest in Aiqudo came in 2020 when an Aiqudo engineer integrated the software into a Peloton rival’s app to demonstrate how voice AI could enhance the workout experience. Peloton reached out after seeing a video of it to discuss how Aiqudo could boost Peloton’s tech portfolio, leading to the eventual outright purchase of Aiqudo.
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