Interactive pose estimation for active pauses

Abstract

Occupational health affections related to ergonomics result in musculoskeletal problems that affect the locomotion apparatus through the muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves, yielding to numerous cases of work absence. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged occupational health problems associated with excessive computer work resulting in the execution of repetitive tasks and sedentary cycles. With increased use of mobile electronic devices (laptops, smartphones and tablets) and initiatives as bring your own device, work time has increased recently and users do not take care of their posture or joints during usage of these devices. Recommendations on taking active pauses and do exercises for avoiding occupational health problems are promoted with videos, animations, reminders, guides and surveys, however use of this tools or taking time for active pauses is not done by several users. This project addresses the problem through an application for reminding the pause and monitor user exercises using Kinect. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.