Infusing Technology Into Workplace Furnitures

Its new Live OS is not really a furniture piece but a smart system. It’s designed by Yves Béhar, whose clients over the years have included Apple, Samsung and Prada. The Live OS system connects some of Herman Miller’s select furniture pieces, such as the fixed-height and sit-to-stand desks, to the cloud and acts like a fitness tracker for your desk. The end goal is to create better ergonomic comfort for its users.

Sensors connected to a cellular network come fitted into new desks or can be added retroactively. The Live OS app memorizes a person’s preferred sit-to-stand desk posture and can adjust back to that position when the user taps the module.

Employees can set goals for how long they’d like to stand or sit at work. The desk then reminds the person to take a break and change positions via the app or by lighting up and vibrating the module.
Data on how much a desk is used is collected and reported anonymously to the office administrator, who can use the information to better understand how staff use desks and how office space is best utilized. Reports can also be used to determine peak work periods or the location of an available, unused desk in a larger work space.
For example, if the system notices you sit at the edge of your seat, it may send you an email with ergonomic tips on improving posture. Plans to release a connected Aeron chair early next year means your chair may adjust and recline just as you like it or may nudge you to get up and stretch your legs.

Herman Miller Connects Furniture to the Cloud via Live OS [freshome]

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