Technabob » pain

Spinovo Concept: Wearable Back Pain Reliever

Lambert Varias — Tue, 10 May 2011 11:45:24 +0000

I’ve always had bad posture and of course with it back pain. Years of writing, gaming, browsing and working while sitting in varied postures – all of them undoubtedly incorrect – have only worsened my condition. That’s why I was so intrigued by Justine Smith‘s concept garment Spinovo, which not only alleviates chronic back pain but also remind the wearer to correct his or her posture.

The Spinovo relieves middle and lower back pain by heating, cooling and “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)”. That last one sounds a bit creepy, but it seems like the embedded electrode pads will only deliver the mildest of currents to stimulate the nerves. The TENS as well as the temperature treatment can be triggered by the user via the remote control, but I’m not sure if there’s an option for them to activate automatically.

As for correcting the wearer’s posture, bend sensors and electromyography sensors are used to detect the movement and position of the spine, as well as muscle activity. The wearer will be given aural and visual feedback via the remote if he needs to correct his posture. A couple of Lithium-ion batteries are used to power Spinovo for as long as 2 hours per charge.

Sounds neat, although it would be nice if the Spinovo was also a bit rigid so that the wearer would be coaxed into the proper posture as soon as the garment is worn. The Spinovo was one of the finalists in last year’s James Dyson Award, but there’s no word if Justine Smith is planning to turn her concept into an actual product.

[via TechChee]

Climbstation Endless Rock Climbing Wall Makes My Arms, Legs and Wallet Hurt Just Looking at It

Technabob — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:20:14 +0000

Now I can barely stomach the idea of ascending one of those rock climbing walls you see at the gym, and now some masochist had to go and invent this.

The ClimbStation combines the concept of a treadmill with rock climbing to create a never-ending wall of pain. The system consists of a moving treadmill that continually advances the wall of grabby rock-like formations, torturing its victims until they fall. Thankfully, there’s a nice big comfy mat underneath.

The treadmill can move as fast as 17 meters a minute (just under a foot per second), which is way faster than anyone should ever have to climb anything. It’s also got a hydraulic tilting mechanism which lets the whole treadmill adjust between +15 to -30 degrees angles. At least it’s smart enough to automatically adjust its speed based on the skill level of the climber.

Here’s a video of the ClimbStation having its way with a willing victim (its inventor):

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Prices for ClimbStation systems start at €29,900 (over $42,000 USD), so you probably won’t be getting one of these for your home gym.

[ClimbStation via PSFK]

Pac-Man Pain Assessment Chart: Maybe You’D Feel Better if You Ate Some Cherries and Pretzels?

Technabob — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:55:13 +0000

Pac-Man pain assessment gauge, spotted on Flickr. Currently, I feel a little Woopop myself.