trAIner AI Spotter

A six-person CU Boulder venture project that paired user discovery, business modeling, and a CAD-developed camera-and-display concept to make strength training safer and more actionable.

Period: 2023
Role: Engineering and project management, six-person team
Methods: SOLIDWORKS · Product Strategy · Customer Discovery · Rendering

Rendered trAIner concept with a depth camera, display, mounting structure, and cables

01 / Challenge

Engineering Challenge

School weight rooms can leave athletes training without immediate form feedback or a dedicated spotter. In the team's research, 96% of athletes reported training unsupervised and 88% reported holding back because of injury concerns. The concept needed to improve safety and coaching without disrupting an existing gym floor.

02 / Approach

Approach

Within a six-person New Venture Creation team, I contributed engineering and project management. I translated the venture hypothesis into an integrated squat-rack concept and developed SOLIDWORKS models and renders showing the camera, display, mounting hardware, cable routing, and rack integration. The team combined 150 end-user interviews with 27 industry-professional interviews to refine the user, buyer, and rollout strategy.

03 / Result

Results

The final pitch presented GYMNI, the venture built around the trAIner concept, as a gym safety and coaching platform for private high-school athletic programs. The project produced a credible product architecture, a visual storytelling package, validation evidence, an operating model, and a staged beta-to-market plan.

Key Outcomes

150end-user interviews completed by the team

Built a complete CAD concept spanning the rack, camera mount, display, and supporting hardware
Helped turn 150 end-user and 27 industry interviews into a focused product and market narrative
Created photorealistic stills and animations for the final investor-style pitch

System Animation

Turntable animation used to communicate the relationship between the camera, display, mounts, and cable routing.

Close rendered view of the trAIner display and camera mounted to a squat rack — Rack integration study showing the display within the athlete's training area.

Rendered close-up of the trAIner depth-camera enclosure — Camera enclosure concept developed around the selected sensing hardware.

Low-angle render of the trAIner display, camera, mounts, and cables — Low-angle system view used to evaluate component placement and visual balance.

Rear rendered view of the trAIner mounting structure and cable routing — Rear view exposing the support structure and cable-management requirements.

Full rendered squat rack with the trAIner system integrated — Full-rack concept established the scale and installation context for the system.

Rendered squat-rack interior with the trAIner display mounted on an upright — Interior rack view explored visibility without obstructing lifting movements.