Having the correct sitting posture is extremely important and a bad posture can cause many problems in the long run. Germany’s Fraunhofer Institutes for Industrial Engineering and for Silicate Research had this in mind when they made LED Stools that teach people how to sit properly.
The stools are equipped with LEDs and multiple flexible pressure sensors. Each sensor consists of an insulating film sandwiched between two electrode layers made of conductive silicone. This lets them measure the users’ weight distribution and they can determine if the person is sitting in a correct posture.
The collected data is transmitted to a computer or mobile device wirelessly where a custom app processes it. The data is then sent back to the stools which respond by illuminating the LEDs in different colours which lets the users know that they need to make a change in their posture.
The users can open the app screen as see a video to find out what the problem is as well as suggestions to correct it. The app also has a number of exercises that can be used to alleviate problems that have risen due to the improper posture. The app guides the users through the exercise and there are sensors that detect if the exercise is being performed correctly.
These LED stools are currently being demonstrated on Germany’s MS Wissenschaft exhibition ship. The setup is such that two players control their movements in a game of electronic table tennis on the stools. This technology has many far-reaching applications and could be integrated into a number of places like office chairs.