Kinetic Desk Takes a Stand Against “Sitting Disease”

By: | October 1st, 2013

Dangers of A Sedentary Life

According to Harvard Business Review and Marc Hamilton of the University of Missouri, “sitting is the smoking of our generation” because “when you sit down for extended periods of time, your body starts to shut down at the metabolic level.” Sitting at a desk is called a “modern day desk (sic death) sentence.”

At the beginning of this year, IndustryTap covered productivity improvements occurring through the use of standing treadmill desks in “Standing Treadmill Desks Improving Productivity.” Now a company called Stirworks is offering a newly-designed, handcrafted, Brooklyn, New York, built, completely automated, smart “Kinetic Desk” to easily and intelligently adjust a user’s position from sitting to standing throughout the day. Using software and a smartphone-like touchscreen interface, the user can adjust the desktop position manually and/or run an algorithm.

Built-in Capacitive Touchscreen Tracks Health Metrics

This smart device uses microprocessors, thermostat-powered controls, an attractive design and a thermo-presence sensor to “sense” when you arrive at your desk. Movements of your desktop are recorded and patterns of use are identified, with preferences stored for recall. The color screen display includes a timer to record standing time and calories burned with daily, weekly, monthly and yearly health metric views. Controls include one-touch sit/stand preset buttons and an active/passive mode button. Pre-programmed movements of the desktop occur on schedule with a gentle rising or falling of the desk. “Stir” is both Wifi and Bluetooth enabled, allowing syncing with fitness and wellness apps and integration with devices like “FitFit.”

Miami Center For Ergonomic Research Finds Productivity Improvement

A report by the Miami Center for Ergonomic Research reports ergonomic tools, such as “Stir,” as critical in warding off negative health effects of sedentary desk work.

David Russell Schilling

David enjoys writing about high technology and its potential to make life better for all who inhabit planet earth.

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