Ergon-Novel Ergonomics for Neck Discomfort - An Easy & Affordable Solution

Abstract

In today's world of advancements, nearly 84% of people face neck and back pain at some point in their lives, of which 90% is attributed to bad posture. This leads to cervical and lumbar spondylosis, kyphoscoliosis and paraspinal muscle spasm. Poor posture can also lead to more pain along with the degradation of the tissues surrounding our joints. To tackle this health issue, we have developed a novel solution in the form of an AI-enabled smart wearable device that enables one to correct their posture at any time of the day by alerting them about their incorrect posture through haptic vibrations. "ERGON" uses flex sensors, a Bluetooth HC-O5 module, an Arduino Nano and a vibrator module to create a life style improvement habit making device. The device will be inserted into a cotton sleeve which will be strapped onto the body with the sensor on the spinal region. "ERGON" is affordable, almost one-third of the cost of similar devices sold in market, light weight and small that can be worn comfortably under clothes. It is worthwhile to mention that ERGON has undergone multiple rounds of prototype refinement where the initial version using infrared sensors to the improved current version of ERGON which uses flex sensors, which changes its readings on being bent. The market viability and customer acceptance of the product was corroborated through need identification surveys where 71% of people replied that they face back and neck problems in their day-to-day life, and that this product will be highly beneficial for them. Additionally, our application allows the user to go through weekly posture progress reports, notifications and free training links and videos helping them gain good postural integrity.