Discreet wearable that vibrates gently when detecting spinal misalignment during desk work.

A workplace ergonomics startup targeting desk workers with a wearable that reduces back and neck pain through real-time posture awareness.
Distinguishing between 'bad posture' (slouching) and 'intentional leaning' using only a wearable on the upper back, without false positives during driving or leaning forward to type.
The device uses the Nordic nRF52840 with a BMI270 6-axis IMU and BMM150 magnetometer for 9-DoF orientation tracking. A 7x15mm ERM vibration motor provides haptic feedback. The entire device is 6mm thick and adheres to the skin via medical-grade adhesive.
We developed a two-stage ML pipeline: first, a rule-based orientation checker computes the thoracic spine angle relative to gravity. If sustained (>30s) deviation beyond 20° is detected, a second TinyML classifier (random forest, 8KB) verifies that the user is stationary (not in a car) and that the deviation is not an intentional stretch. Haptic feedback intensity escalates: gentle pulse → 3 pulses → persistent vibration if ignored.
94% true positive rate for slouch detection with <1 false alert per 8-hour workday. Users report 70% reduction in upper back pain after 4 weeks.
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