Pulloton: Actuated Pull-Up Bar
The Pulloton is an interactive, actuated fitness product and game designed to make upper-body exercise more engaging, accessible, and effective. This project was developed as part of a Designing Interaction course, combining physical movement with cognitive challenges to enhance motivation and adherence to workouts.
Interaction Designer, UI/UX Designer
Robert Wang, Ethan Shenker, Matthew Jeung
Python, Pygame
Challenge
Many people struggle to maintain upper-body workout routines due to lack of motivation, poor technique, and the repetitive nature of traditional exercises. The challenge was to reimagine the pull-up bar using interaction design principles that would make physical activity more engaging, intuitive, and habit-forming. Our goal was to create a system that turned exercise into a game—one that was accessible, rewarding, and encouraged users to return regularly through playful, meaningful interaction.
Results
Through a playful and thoughtfully designed interface, the Makey Makey Pull-Up Bar increased both the number of pull-ups users completed and their motivation to continue exercising. By incorporating real-time feedback, directional challenges, and a dynamic leaderboard, we created a system that shaped behavior through intrinsic motivation and competition. All participants did more reps with the game than without it, and survey data showed that users felt more excited to continue pull-up routines in the future. The project demonstrated how interaction design and gamification can transform mundane tasks into enjoyable habits—showing that even simple physical actions can be reimagined through the lens of play.
123%
Increase in average pull-up reps per session
100%
of users reported increased motivation
83%
of users rated the experience as highly engaging
Process
Research & Problem-Framing: We began by identifying a common barrier to consistent upper-body exercise: lack of motivation and engagement. We explored how interaction design and gamification could encourage habit formation through play. To guide our design, we researched existing fitness tech, behavior design strategies, and accessibility needs for users with limited hand mobility.
Interaction Design Ideation: Drawing from our research, we designed a pull-up bar experience that merged physical effort with mental engagement. We conceptualized a system that provided immediate feedback, directional challenges, and score tracking—all triggered through chin taps at the top of each pull-up.
Prototyping & Hardware Integration: Using a Makey Makey and conductive chin sensors, we built a working prototype that turned the pull-up bar into a physical game controller. The game displayed directional prompts and tracked correct and incorrect inputs in real time, with auditory and visual cues enhancing the feedback loop.
User Testing: We conducted a multi-step user study (N=6) that included pre-surveys, baseline pull-up tracking, gameplay trials, and post-experience surveys. Based on feedback, we refined sensor placement, clarified UI prompts, and adjusted the difficulty to balance challenge with accessibility.
Impact & Analysis: We analyzed the effect of our system on motivation, performance, and user perception. Participants consistently performed more pull-ups, reported increased motivation, and cited the game’s competitive elements as a key driver of engagement. These results reinforced the power of interaction design to turn physical exertion into a playful, repeatable habit.