Peloton launches ‘Guide’: a camera that watches your workouts and its first strength product

(Peloton)

Peloton has announced the ‘Guide’, its first connected strength product.

The Guide is something like a camera with artificial intelligence built in. It plugs into a TV and is then able to watch how people work out, giving them guidance on their form and what workouts they should be doing.

To use it, the Guide is plugged into the TV and people can then use their existing equipment and weights. The camera then uses machine learning to track users’ movements, ensuring users are completing the exercises and allowing them to watch their own performance, as well as showing which muscle groups have recently been worked and which should be in the future.

As such, it is something of a departure from competitors such as Tonal, which are built into a mirror that is mounted on the wall, rather than borrowing the screen of an existing television.

The device costs £450, or $495, and users will also need a Peloton subscription to use it. Peloton noted that is its “most accessibly-priced hardware product yet”, when compared to its more expensive treadmills and bikes.

It will be available “early 2022” in the US and Canada, and at some point next year in the UK, Australia and Germany.

The launch comes at something of a difficult time for Peloton. Its sales surged when lockdowns forced people to work out at home, but its latest results suggested that growth could be slowing as restrictions ease again, leading to some dramatic falls in its share price.

It has also faced issues with its treadmills, after both versions of them were hit by reports that they could damage – or even kill – the people using them. The Tread running machine has since gone back on sale with new safety features, though the more expensive Tread+ is still yet to return to market.

Peloton said the Guide had come amid interest in its strength content – but difficulties in knowing whether those workouts were being done exactly as they should be.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the interest in our strength content explode,” said Tom Cortese, Peloton’s co-founder and chief product officer, in a statement.

“Peloton Guide demystifies strength training to create a more engaging experience that will help Members stay motivated.

“This is just the beginning for Peloton strength. Guide will keep getting smarter so it can grow stronger alongside our Members.” 

(Peloton)

The Guide will be updated with new additions to its artificial intelligence so that it can spot new movements and disciplines, and so that it can work with new training programmes and classes, Peloton said.

As with the cameras on the Peloton bike, users are able to cover the microphone and camera with a physical switch to ensure privacy.

In addition to the price of the hardware, customers will have to pay £12.99 a month or the same in dollars to get a Peloton Guide membership and have access to the content. Existing members will get access to the Guide content for no extra cost.

Peloton also said it would be looking to offer financing options “to ensure Peloton Guide remains accessibly-priced”, in the same way it does with its bikes and treadmill.