Aussie health tech firm, mPort, is revolutionising the way we navigate our health and fitness journeys with the introduction of ‘Bodymapp’; the Ausssie-first accurate 3D body scanning feature available for iPhone users. This enables iPhone users to accurately capture their body measurements from the comfort of their own homes, using the smartphone’s depth sensors.
Thousands of data points across the body are mapped to create a 3D avatar which captures body shape, measurements, body fat, density, and other relevant health indexes. The scans deliver personalised health metrics superior to those of weighing scales or a BMI calculation.
How effective is the technology?
With waist circumference considered a better indicator of early death than BMI (University of Sydney study 2017), health experts believe Aussies need to be look at their fitness more holistically. mPort has been making 3D body mapping for Aussies in select locations since 2015, however, users can now visualise their fitness progress using their iPhones anytime.
“This has been a long time coming, and we are thrilled to be able to harness the technology of mobile depth sensors to bring accurate health measurements and metrics to people whenever and wherever they want to scan,” said Dipra Ray, Chief Executive Officer of mPort.
“Gone are the days where you had to line up at the gym at a specific time to do a scan, with tech that doesn’t provide you with an accurate or holistic view of your health and fitness. With mPort, users just need to download the app, sign up for free and follow the instructions to get scanned and view their very own 3D avatar all in the comfort of their own home.”
“It’s an excellent way of keeping track of your progress. There’s something very fulfilling about seeing your own avatar change over time thanks to the health changes you make in your life.” The technology also does not take any photographs of users, guaranteeing privacy.
“The depth sensors only use infrared tech. We don’t use the RGB camera module in the phone, so no images are captured – that’s why you see a heatmap during the scan. The experience is private, and from our end, we only see a black and white silhouette of users.”
How does the technlology address the fitness question?
Dr Brendan Ryan, surgeon at the Sydney Bariatric Clinic says technology that provides data of a person’s overall body fat and muscle mass percentage is much more indicative of health problems than traditional forms of weight measurements. “Australia has some of the highest levels of obesity in the world, and one area we can address this issue is assessing body fat percentage, which is a major indicator of health and of disease” commented Dr Ryan.
“mPort is doing an excellent job at making health and fitness assessments easily accessible to all Australians through its iPhone scanning feature,” Dr Ryan further commented.
Steven Boyages, Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School says obesity is a leading causes of premature death, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and blindness, but access to data mined from tech like Bodymapp could improve this situation. “Everyday I see the impact of obesity and diabetes on peoples’ lives,” said Prof Boyages.
“Tools that allow individuals to understand their risk from obesity and provide feedback to monitor and to take control are essential. I am excited to hear of developments in mPort’s phone scanning technology that provides such solutions. I know my patients will embrace technologies that improve one’s ability to lose weight,” Prof Boyages further commented.
Access to this amount of data allows mPort users to optimise their health and fitness regimes, and stay motivated as they watch their 3D avatar transform over time on the mPort app. The technology is available for consumers with iPhone 10 and above and is free to try for anyone who wants to smash their fitness goals and work on their health.
Over the next six months, mPort is focused on getting more Aussies to take control of their fitness goals with body scans. The firm will also partner with leading health and fitness brands.
