Winner of the 2018 Marc C. Gauthier Award in Innovative Technologies from Carleton University
Finalist in the Industrial Designers Society of America IDEA 2019 Competition
Meet your Maestro.
Maestro is an exercise system designed to help participants improve their range of motion. Comprised of handheld controllers and a central hub, it is designed for use in a small group exercise environment.
Together, the elements represent an all-inclusive system that changes the way group fitness classes are experienced.
Challenge
Design a responsive music-making device for senior exercise
Previous research into music and exercise had shown that older adults are motivated by interactive music while exercising; the challenge was to develop this research into a product outcome.
Method
Elements of Maestro’s design were developed during a co-design session with potential users and community members.
The timeline for this project did not allow for formal user testing sessions as a result of the co-design workshop. Informal user feedback was obtained along the way.
Co-design
Four community members attended a co-design workshop, organized and run by myself and three other designers. Participants were happy to voice their opinions and try out the rudimentary prototypes that were brought to the session.
Maestro, n.
\ ‘mī-(,)strō \ a master usually in an art; especially : an eminent composer, conductor, or teacher of music.
The exercise experience
The Maestro system is made up of 9 controllers and 1 hub
It can be used in fitness classes of up to 8 people, plus an instructor
Before class starts, each participant calibrates their controller
They can set their controller to influence either the volume or the tempo of the music
This means that participants play all together, or face off against each other on two teams
When the instructor flips the switch on their controller, it’s time to have some fun!
Each Maestro controller is equipped with an inertial measurement unit that detects changes in orientation. This also describes a participant’s range of motion.
The hub receives range of motion data for each participant and calculates how each team is doing.
What happens to the music?
After class, participants can tap the hub to see and hear their own performance.
For all spaces, for everyone
Maestro is portable for use in different environments by people with different needs. Variable weight (removeable cartridges under the outer grips) and handle size account for strength, dexterity and differences in hand size among users.
Manufacturing
The controller’s housing is made from a injection molded Santoprene (TPV). The grips are made of flexible styrenic TPE. These have good colorability and durability for the gym environment.
The hub’s dominant structure is fabricated from bent acrylic. The hub houses the speaker driver, induction transmitter coils, power supply and sensor data reception and processing capabilities.
