How Uscale works
All the interactions explained in more detail.
Setting up and using the system requires a bit of effort and explanation from the start. However, the user will experience that the Uscale will be a tool to easify their diet. The set-up, cooking a meal and getting groceries are important tasks considering the scale. These three main, and most important, scenarios are carefully worked out into detail.
The Set-Up
Keep reading to find out more about the three different parts of the set-up of the Uscale.
Scan QR Code
Create account
Connect
Select subscription
Basic set up
Having bought and received the scale, the customer unpacks the scale. During the unpacking the user is instructed to download our app. On the box a QR-code can be found, which can be scanned with their phone. When scanned, the QR code will send them to the Appstore or Playstore where they can download our app.
After installing and opening the app they are welcomed, thanked for their purchase, and asked to create an account. They will have to fill in personal information like name, age, gender, fitness and health information and the way they want to pay the monthly subscription.
After doing this, the app asks the user to connect the scale to their phone. The Bluetooth connection on the scale can be made by holding the tare button for 5 seconds. In the app, the user can go to the menu and press the bluetooth icon at the top.
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When selecting the monthly subscription our user is given the choice between two different subscriptions: "The lifestyle" and "Weight journey" subscription. These subscriptions contain different functions and, hence, have different user interactions.
Pre-set plates
Acces plates in the app
Easy weighing of leftovers
Set up plates
Regardless of the chosen subscription, the user can set up the weights of some of the regularly used plates. Choosing a pre-weighted plate in a menu means that only the whole plate with the food has to be weighed.
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The plates can be added to the menu via the app. The camera on the scale will recognise the different plates and will know how much weight it should subtract to find the weight of just the food. In case you get a new plate, you can easily add it to your menu, or still choose the option of weighing both with and without the food.
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A situation in which this could be relevant is when the user has prepared a meal for more than one person, and now has leftovers. In this case it is important to weigh the portion that was eaten and the leftovers. Normally, one would have to place the plate on the scale and weigh it twice, first without the food, and then with the food on it. These steps can be reduced to only weighing once, if the plates have been weighed in advance during the setup process, and giving each individual plate a name.
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Add all food in stock
Optional for the weight journey subscription
Add food items
For the lifestyle subscription the third step is to place all the food items already in your kitchen on the scale. By doing so our app will know the starting weight of all products in the user's kitchen, and is able to suggest meals, recommend grocery lists, and roughly estimate the expiry dates of their food items.
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For the weight journey subscription this third step is optional. They can decide at any moment to complete this step, but until they do they won’t have the meal suggestions, grocery list recommendations, and the rough expiry date estimation. They can use the scale to scan all food items in the kitchen, but because they do not necessarily need the starting weight of all products, they can also use the camera in the app.
Cooking a Meal
Keep reading to find out more about making meals, following recipes with Uscale.
Weighing food items
Lifestyle subscription
When a user with the lifestyle subscription is cooking a meal their first step is taking the food items required for that meal out of their cabinets and fridge. Secondly, they can start cooking their meal. Thirdly, the user should take out the scale and place it on the countertop, turn it on, and put the screen with the camera in an upright position. Now they can start placing the food items on the scale before placing them back in a cabinet or the fridge or throw their empty package away.
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Weight journey subscription
When a user with the weight journey subscription is cooking a meal their first step is taking the food items required for that meal out of their cabinets and fridge. Secondly, the user should take out the scale and place it on the countertop, turn it on, and put the screen with the camera in an upright position. Now they can start placing the food items on the scale. Thirdly, after weighing all items they can start cooking their meal. Fourthly, the user should place the items on the scale a second time before placing them back in a cabinet or the fridge or throw their empty package.
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Totally used or emptied out food
Packaged
Place the product on the scale like described in the ‘Weighing food items’ paragraph. When you place a package on the scale that you intend to throw away, you can select this on the scale. Our product now knows you know longer will be using this item.
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Non-packaged
If you totally use an non-packaged item you will have nothing left to weigh. Therefore select the food item on your scale or phone, and select that it is empty. Our product now knows you know longer will be using this item.
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Leftovers or eating with others
Weighing plates
The first step is to go through the steps described in the ‘Weighing food items’ paragraph. Then you can weigh the food of each person that is eating this meal. If you have pre-weight your plates during the setup process you can fill a plate, place it on the scale, and select which user or if a guest is eating it or if these are leftovers. You can select this on the scale or your phone. Otherwise you will have to weigh each plate separately first, before putting food on it and weighing it a second time.
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Estimating portion size
You can also choose to estimate the different portions. Here, the first step is to go through the steps described in the ‘Weighing food items’ paragraph as normally. Fill all plates and leftover bin’s and open the app. Go to the meal you just prepared and tap the ‘estimated portion tap’. You can estimate how much of the meal is on each plate and in each container and select which one you, other users, or a guest are eating.
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Eating a meal without the scale
When you eat a meal at a restaurant or have another reason for not being able to use the scale when preparing a meal you can also manually add a meal to the app. The first step is to go to the add meal tap and search the food items you ate. Then estimate how much of each item you consumed. This will give an estimation of the nutritional value and caloric intake of that meal.
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Grocery Shopping
After doing groceries the user has to take a few steps.
Open scale and direct the camera
Weigh new groceries
Identify products
View products in the app
After dong groceries, the user should place their scale on their kitchen countertop, turn it on, and put the screen with the camera in an upright position.
By clicking the ‘new grocery’ button on the scale, a menu is opened. The new food items can be placed on the scale, and a name of the identified product will appear on the screen.
If the scale correctly identified the product the user can take it off and put it away. If the product was not rightfully recognized, the user can open the app and select the add manually button to give this product the correct name.
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The process of placing products on the scale and identifying them can be done until all the products have been safed by the scale. If the user makes a mistake, the app can be opened to delete or edit the food item from the stock.
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