Meet Live OS, a Desktop Sensor That Tracks Your Activity
In an effort to increase workplace productivity, Herman Miller, the furniture company behind the Aeron chair and cockpit, has released a tabletop sensor that collects data about how and when office space is used.
The data that Live OS collects is displayed in a control panel that companies have access to. Live OS also includes an app extension that allows individual employees to set seating and standing goals. In other words, this is the Fitbit for your desk.
Live OS was unveiled today at NeoCon in Chicago as part of a collaboration with designer Yves Béhar to create smarter office furniture. It matches the Herman Miller seated and standing desks to allow users to control the height of their desks and set activity goals, such as getting up for five minutes every hour. However, for tables not owned by Herman Miller, it only collects data about when people are at their tables.
The sensor was designed to help companies “lower operating costs, improve space utilization and enhance employee well-being.”
Live OS claims that initial testing showed users were six times more active, and by being more active, people were “more productive, efficient and engaged.” However, the health benefits of standing tables are hotly debated .
The sensors are sold individually for $ 100, and the software that comes with them costs $ 36 per table per year. An app that pairs with Herman Miller desktops costs $ 60 per desk per year. However, Quartz notes that prices are falling as companies buy more sensors and subscribe to the service for longer periods of time.
However, Live OS isn’t the first software to use data to improve productivity in the workplace. Humanyze monitors employee interactions online and in person, while GE Current uses light sensors to track movement.