momentum; a socio-cultural IoT-application to help you stand up against sitting culture
The way labour is performed has drastically changed since the application of the theories of scientific management, introduced in 20th century Taylorism. By minimizing labour intensity, efficiency can be optimized, resulting in more lucrative business management in factories. With the arrival of the digital- and information age, more and more workers find their jobs in communication and technological sectors. It could be argued that modern offices are "intellectual factories", where the same Taylorist ideas could be applied. Every office worker would receive a desk, computer, and chair. The reduction of labour intensity in this case can easily be seen in a heavy reduction of physical activity to improve intellectual processes. Science has proven that lack of physical activity results in alarming health disorders such as cardiovascular diseases. The deeper problem lies in the sitting culture currently established in modern office environments. These environments are designed for office employees to perform their work while seated. Therefore, a behavioural intervention is required.
How can we learn office workers to work more dynamically, using an IoT-application where physical activity is stimulated and ergonomic information is gathered to raise awareness about sitting culture? How can we help office workers stand up against seating culture?
The first step is optimizing physical activity without the reduction of labour productivity. Working dynamically means a frequent and efficient alternation between sitting, standing and moving. The Buoy rocking stool, made by Enrichers, stimulates in-chair movement and sitting up with a straight back due to the dome- shaped frame. However, this ergonomic quality is not yet measurable, nor does it encourage a long-term behavioural change.
The lantern will be activated when the sitting behaviour of the user becomes irresponsible. The signal will simply inform the user to “keep distance” from its seating furniture and to continue their work in a non-sedentary way. When the user is concentrated on its work and does not see the buoy’s light, nearby colleagues could vigilantly alert the user, creating a cultural code for the company where good ergonomics are praised.
When the Buoy advises the user to stand up for a while, it’s important for the user to receive feedback on its sitting behaviour. By consulting the web-application, the user receives both a quick summary and in-depth analytics about their ergonomic situation. The in-depth insights are based on the three pillars of healthy sitting behaviour: sit-stand variety, in-chair movement and the sitting posture.
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