A Hobart visual production studio has launched its first health app after its founder found his watch could tell him he had slept badly, but not why.
Oi Studios, a 10-person team based in Mornington, launched Me. this week, with the app available across app stores worldwide.
Founder Matt Osborne said he had accumulated years of information about his health through wearable devices and other apps, but found the data was missing the real-world context behind it.
“My watch knew I slept badly, it had no idea a baby was involved,” he said.
“A workout that looks lighter than usual means one thing if you are tired and another if you are coming back from an injury.”
“None of that context is in the data and all of it is known to the person the data belongs to.”
The idea grew from Osborne’s own experience as a 40-year-old who combines running and weight training while balancing work and family life.
He had accumulated more than 31 million data points across Apple Health and other apps but wanted a way to connect the numbers with the real-world circumstances behind them.
“The problem is not collection. It is context,” he said.
Users can voice-log details such as a poor night’s sleep, a late beer or a hot room, which are then compiled alongside their health data into a structured document they can share with a GP, coach or AI of their choice.
Me. does not interpret results or provide diagnoses, with Osborne saying the app was designed to help people understand their own information rather than make medical decisions for them.
“Algorithms can work well, but they can also create the impression of certainty without having the full picture,” he said.
“I did not build Me. to make that call itself, quietly, from the outside.”
The app’s data also stays on the user’s device, with no Me. account or server required.
“You are not trusting us with your health data. We are giving you a place to hold it yourself,” Osborne said.
“It cannot be sold because we do not have it.”
The app is the first product from Oi Studios, which has spent 30 years producing visual content, including television commercials and advertising campaigns, for Tasmanian businesses, government departments and other clients.
Osborne said the studio began looking at new ways to use its skills as technology and AI rapidly changed the industry.
“We have proven over the years that we punch above our weight in nearly every area and building a simple application with broad health value should be no different,” he said.
