A new tree every 10,000 steps
IoT device and app protect the health of users and of our planet
That inner voice
Every person's inner lazybones is strong.... very strong. It causes us to move too little during work and rather sit most of our time. Therefore, back pain has become a widespread disease that seems to grow together with omnipresent digitalization and permanent screen work.
As both a design-savvy and sustainability-minded company, Walkolution contacted Centigrade to accelerate its ambitious 10K step goal achievement. Centigrade was asked to design and prototype an IoT device that is able to capture steps more accurately than traditional smart devices. The focus of this IoT device was that the steps are recorded precisely and that the device can be combined with any other motorless treadmill, too.
Walkolution GmbH A step-tracking device with an iOS app that combines physical activity with sustainability. For every 10,000 steps, a new tree is automatically planted in the company’s shared forest.
More motivation to walk while working
Centigrade developed an innovative step-tracking device for Walkolution, complete with an intuitive iOS app that uniquely combines physical activity with sustainability. The digital solution motivates users to stay active by accurately tracking their steps and converting them into a measurable contribution to environmental protection.
Via an integrated web API, a new tree is automatically planted in the company forest for every 10,000 steps taken. This turns every movement into sustainable value—for users’ health as well as for the environment.
With this solution, Centigrade creates a motivating experience that combines gamification, digital technology, and environmental responsibility. Companies can use it not only to inspire their employees to be more active in their daily work lives, but also to actively contribute to reforestation and watch their own digital corporate forest grow.
Technology is good, gamification is better
The best technology is of no use if people are not motivated to actually use it. Centigrade therefore conducted extensive user research to find out which target group with which user needs and motivation profiles were to satisfy. With the help of the user requirements tool LeanScope, an accurate persona profile including a player type analysis was created and used as a foundation for the parallel app design.
The UX context analysis also revealed that a mutual goal as well as a productive work situation should be the focus of the solution development. Since modern employers cannot necessarily provide each colleague with their own Walkolution treadmill, the treadmill had been conceived by the designers as a "shared resource" from the very beginning. This allows different users to contribute to the 10,000 step goal together on the same treadmill, one after the other. On the one hand, this reduces the number of steps for each individual and on the other hand strengthens the team spirit among colleagues.
Prototypes: cardboard and 3D printed housing
Pretty much best friends when things are going right: Connectivity and privacy
The key persona was defined as not necessarily being tech-savvy. Therefore, connecting the app with the steptracking device had to work as hassle-free as possible. Instead of relying on web technologies as in many other projects, Centigrade therefore opted for an iOS-native implementation including user testing via Testflight. As soon as a user steps near the treadmill, the steptracking device automatically connects with the Walkolution app via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and credits the steps to both the device and the user. In this way, users can keep track of their own step goals as well as the mutual team step goal. Users do not have to switch to the Bluetooth menu of their smartphone even once.
It was a conscious design decision to collect all usage data in a purely anonymous - and non-personal - fashion. This gives users the secure feeling that the employer could never use the tracked steps for personalized analyses. Only the users themselves know - via the Walkolution app on their private smartphone - how they personally contributed to the common step goal.
Technological progress, but sustainable: A new tree via Web API
But empowering people to work digitally in a healthy way is not the only mission of the sustainably minded company.
With its 1 Million Trees campaign, Walkolution wants to give a whole lot back to the very planet. To bring this goal within reach, Walkolution plants a new tree via Tree Nation every 10,000 steps, allowing the "Walkolution Forest" to grow further and further with every active user.
But collecting 1 million steps is an ambitious goal. That's why Walkolution came up with the idea of developing a special steptracking de vice that records even the much more subtle step movements on the treadmill - a task that both smartphones and smartwatches or fitness wristbands fail miserably at.
Technologies
It was a great pleasure to work with Centigrade again.I was very excited to utilize our product in such a creative and experimental environment and it gives our company the opportunity to further expand the use case of the walkolution.
Dr. Eric Söhngen Gründer/Geschäftsführer - Walkolution, Walkolution GmbH 
Everything starts with a good conversation.
So let's explore the possibilities for your digital product development together. We look forward to your inquiry.
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