Darma Helps You “Sit Smart”

We sit too much. There really isn’t a way you can gloss that over… we simply sit too much. Some of that is because of the jobs we are doing, where technology is taking the place of physical labour, but some of it is because we’re lazy. Even in our off time, we choose to sit. There are all manner of standing desks, desk exercise machines, treadmill desks, and exercise plans for office workers, but if we’re being honest with ourselves most of us aren’t going to use them.

Enter Darma. Darma is “the world’s first smart cushion”, which doesn’t nag you about standing, but instead monitors how you sit and offers suggestions as to how you can improve your sitting posture. As I write this, I am slumped into a recliner with my laptop balanced on my knees, so I’m guessing probably I could use one of these.

Darma works by learning your sitting habits, then presents you with posture advice, stand-up reminders, and even stretching guidance tailored to your specific needs. Even if your posture is great when you first sit down, all of us tend to start slouching the longer we sit, and Darma jumps in to remind us to sit up straight. It’s nicer than your grandma about it, though. It communicates through either your smartphone (iPhone and Android) or your computer. The display is interactive, so as you bring your posture closer to correct you can see the results right on your screen.

Darma currently has about a week left in its Kickstarter campaign, and has already surpassed its funding goal by about $180,000.00 US. If you’d like one, you’ll need to pledge at least $129.00 US for estimated June 2015 delivery. However, you can also choose to pledge at least $189.00 US and become an early adopter (delivery in March 2015), with a chance to visit their offices and try out the prototype before it goes into production.

Source: Gadget Review