Posted on 3rd Sep 2011 @ 6:26 PM

There are a lot of products on the market today which aim to improve a person's posture. Ergonomic chairs, lumbar pillows, and special seat cushions are designed to keep you from slouching. But soon, there may be another common workplace item which can help you maintain an ideal posture: your webcam!

So you won’t end up looking like this.

That's because a new study published in the journal, Applied Ergonomics, showcased the efficacy of webcams for this purpose. A research team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel divided 60 participants into three groups. One was a control group, and another was given training in achieving proper posture while working in an office setting. The final group not only received office training, but was also shown certain webcam photographs. These photos revealed a side-by-side comparison of a worker's current posture next to the same person demonstrating an ideal posture (which had been taken earlier in the training process).

Obviously, these photos were taken from a webcam near the person's computer, as opposed to the one on his own computer.

The results of the study showed short-term improvement in posture among participants in both non-control groups. However, these positive outcomes persisted in the long term only in the group that was shown the webcam photos. Furthermore, the webcam photo training provided additional benefits for older employees and those already suffering from musculoskeletal disorders.

Even though there are no immediate plans to incorporate this technique into an ergonomic product, we can imagine what the end result might look like. It could be packaged as a software program for individual computers which would include a "driver" for a computer's webcam (or a webcam that is to be strategically placed to provide a side view of the computer user). The software might periodically take snapshots of a worker at his or her computer and compare it to a pre-photographed "correct posture" photo in its memory; then show the two photos side by side in a pop-up window on the user's screen. It also may include tips on how to correct any errors in posture that it may detect (if the software is that sophisticated).

The main target market for this product would probably be companies who employ lots of workers who sit at desks all day. These businesses could use the software to help prevent musculoskeletal disorders in their employees -- and the lost productivity that comes with them. Individuals who already suffer from back or neck pain may also benefit from this type of ergonomic product.

But doesn’t it seem a little far-fetched to believe that a webcam-photo posture product would catch on among mainstream computer users? After all, who wants to be told constantly to sit up straight?

Like you don't hear your mother's voice enough in your head.