Design Overview
Having poor seated posture for extended periods of time can be very detrimental to one's health, and can cause back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders associated with poor posture. In general, our society today is largely centered around being seated for prolonged periods of time. This is evident by the fact that children sit in class for at least 8 hours each day, and that the average American worker is seated for at least 10 hours each day. While every sedentary individual could benefit from improved posture, improving the posture of office workers, who create the majority of economic costs associated with back pain, would create the largest benefit to society. Therefore, there is a need to improve poor posture for individuals working long hours while seated.
While many technologies exist to help correct or monitor one's posture, there does not yet exist a device or technology that is meant to monitor one's seated posture in a workplace environment for extended periods of time. Therefore, our team aims to create a device that monitors a user's posture, and alerts the user of poor posture. This device will be meant for use in an office environment for extended periods of time (about 8 hours each day). Our final prototype of our device, as well as the accompanying software, circuit diagrams, and mechanical drafts needed, will be completed by April 2017.
While many technologies exist to help correct or monitor one's posture, there does not yet exist a device or technology that is meant to monitor one's seated posture in a workplace environment for extended periods of time. Therefore, our team aims to create a device that monitors a user's posture, and alerts the user of poor posture. This device will be meant for use in an office environment for extended periods of time (about 8 hours each day). Our final prototype of our device, as well as the accompanying software, circuit diagrams, and mechanical drafts needed, will be completed by April 2017.
Design Specifications
General Specifications
The following metrics were created using the general specifications above:
Safety - Probability of injury risk <1% per use
Invasiveness - System distracts user for no more than 30 minutes per day of use
Cost - Under $300
Portability - Ability to fit in a 35 cm by 40 cm bag (standard tote bag size)
Feedback - Effectively notifies user of poor posture 85% of the time
Accuracy - Correctly measures posture 85% of the time
Reliability - Provides reliable measurements 85% of the time
Latency - Provides feedback within 3 minutes of sensing posture
Longevity - Lasts a minimum of 8 hours of constant use
Cost of first prototype - Under $200
Cost of final prototype - Under $300
Length of use - 6-8 hours each day
Battery Life - 20-24 hours (3 days of work use)
Battery recharge time - At most 8 hours (for overnight charging)
Proximity to user - Less than 1m
Calibration time - Less than 15 minutes
Device size - Smaller than 45cm x 45cm x 100cm (size of standard office chair)
Device weight - Less than 3kg
- Meant for use in an indoor, office environment
- Meant for extended use while sitting
- Made for adult use
- Unobtrusive
- Battery-operated
The following metrics were created using the general specifications above:
Safety - Probability of injury risk <1% per use
Invasiveness - System distracts user for no more than 30 minutes per day of use
Cost - Under $300
Portability - Ability to fit in a 35 cm by 40 cm bag (standard tote bag size)
Feedback - Effectively notifies user of poor posture 85% of the time
Accuracy - Correctly measures posture 85% of the time
Reliability - Provides reliable measurements 85% of the time
Latency - Provides feedback within 3 minutes of sensing posture
Longevity - Lasts a minimum of 8 hours of constant use
Cost of first prototype - Under $200
Cost of final prototype - Under $300
Length of use - 6-8 hours each day
Battery Life - 20-24 hours (3 days of work use)
Battery recharge time - At most 8 hours (for overnight charging)
Proximity to user - Less than 1m
Calibration time - Less than 15 minutes
Device size - Smaller than 45cm x 45cm x 100cm (size of standard office chair)
Device weight - Less than 3kg