(via Kickstarter)
Mom always told us to sit up straight for a reason. If anything, her warnings are partially the inspiration behind this latest kickstarter innovation. Bad posture can cause pain in the neck and back and even slow you down by causing fatigue. All throughout the day gravity is exerting its force on us. Depending upon the position we are in, extra strain can be placed on muscles and joints due to our posture. Sitting up straight in our chairs and even while standing can help us evade strains and stresses on our back and muscles along with help us feel more energetic and be more productive.
Through a team of a physician, Monisha Perkash, an entrepreneur, Charles Wang, and an engineer, Andrew Chang, a device to help us live healthy and more productive lives through posture is on the way. They have created what they have called the LUMOback, a device worn like a belt that tracks posture throughout the day.
The LUMOback is made from an adjustable elastic strap the fits around the waist to support a small waterproof housing in the back. The housing is 8.5mm thick and about the length and width of a credit card. The construction of the device makes it almost unnoticeable while wearing it and features some of the latest tech. Inside of the device is a vibration motor used to alert users when you are in a slouching position, and the latest Bluetooth technology which allows it to communicate with the iPhone 4S or an iPad. In addition, the device runs on a lithium-ion battery that can last up to four days and is charged through a micro-USB port.
The software it communicates to on mobile devices possesses the greatest features. All throughout the day it tracks your posture and movements. Along with displaying a stick figure to show you your position and posture in real time, it also tracks how much you are slouching and in which direction you are slouching to. All the information that is logged can then be displayed through an easy to read graph which can tell you how much you slouch throughout the day and during which times of the day you slouch the most. They have launched their project on Kickstarter and have already well surpassed their goal of $100,000 with a couple of weeks to go still. We can expect to see the device launch in the Fall and sell for around $100-$125 for a unit.
Find yourself sitting up straighter all of the sudden?
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