Stir Kinetic Desk Tracks Calories Burned and Helps You Stay Fit at Work
by GAURAV KRISHNAMURTHY on Dec 19, 2013 • 2:03 pm
The latest fitness trend in offices around the country is employees giving up their chairs in order to stand while working. Now Stir, a Pasadena, CA company, is helping this fitness cause with their smart desk called Stir Kinetic that adapts to the user’s position and also helps track the additional calories burned due to standing.
In order to start using the Stir Kinetic desk, the user has to first enter his or her standing and sitting heights, as well as the amount of time he or she would like to stand per day while working, using the touch screen console on the desk surface. The hardwood desk then uses motors to move its position from seated height to standing height by a mere double tap on the console. The smart desk tracks the amount of standing time per day in order to provide the user a count of the calories burned and has a Whisperbreath feature that automatically changes the desk’s height by one inch up or down, forcing the user to change positions, thereby incorporating some physical activity into office jobs.
The algorithm running the Stir Desk works to create changes in desk height at appropriate times and tracks the user’s work patterns to teach itself the best times to coax the user to change positions. The smart desk has been equipped with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity to be able to transmit data to a smartphone in the future and Stir aims to roll out wellness and fitness smartphone apps that work with the smart desk.
The desk is currently available for purchase for a premium price of $3890, and comes in two top surface color options of either white lacquer or espresso-stained.