Real Indoor: New Hardware Integration with Arduino

We have been thinking about how to enable more integration of Real Indoor with the different workout devices like cycles, treadmills, .... And the answer is - Arduino.

With the Arduino Integration you can control your work-out device (magnetic brake, ...) as well as get information from your device like retrieving RPM values, heartbeats, ... Arduino enhances the approach Real Indoor had offered so far via webcam integration to retrieve e.g. the RPM value and adds much more flexibility.

Here is how it works under the hood:

• The Arduino board I/O pins are connected to the work-out device to provide and retrieve input and output information
• The Arduino board is connected to the computer via USB
• Java-Applet talking via USB to Arduino
• Real Indoor application providing the output information to control or retrieve input from the work-out device via Javascript from the java-applet

This approach is very flexible and offers for example 

• Measurement of RPM e.g. via Reed-switch integration
• Control of magnetic Eddy current brakes of e.g. cycles via application of the control voltage
• Control of inclination cycles or treadmills based on the present slope by application of the control voltage from the Arduino device
• many more ...

As the Arduino integration typically needs some knowledge of hardware we are not yet providing the Arduino hardware integration publicly but for selected projects. Please let us know if you are interested in learning more about the new hardware integration or would like to start an integration project via our feedback form in Real Indoor or here.

BTW - Real Indoor now supports choosing imperial or metric units.