Desk chair of the future blends real and virtual worlds

Friday, March 17, 2023
Computer science researchers at the University of Waterloo have created a smart desk chair that can intuitively respond to the user’s movements, such as projecting important information on an office wall when the user swivels away from their desk or suggesting regular breaks for mental and physical health.

The project is part of research into spatial augmented reality— technology that merges the real and virtual worlds by superimposing computer-generated content onto surfaces using one or more digital projectors.

“Say you’re leaning forward in your office chair,” said Nikhita Joshi, a PhD candidate in the Cheriton School of Computer Science at Waterloo and the lead researcher on the project. “Leaning forward suggests you’re engaged in a task or meeting with a co-worker. A spatial augmented reality system could detect your sitting posture and the location of the chair in the office, then use these inputs to project on the wall zoomed-in digital content you’re discussing with a co-worker. ”

Read more in the full article on the Waterloo News site.