TIME's Best Inventions of 2014 .......................... 9. The Chip that Stops Your Slouching

TIME's Best Inventions of 2014

9. The Chip that Stops Your Slouching


Lumo Lift / $100
Available at lumobodytech.com
You can probably guess why so many people have posture that causes back pain: “We simply forget” to stop slouching, says Monisha Perkash, whose company, Lumo BodyTech, created the ultimate reminder. Once users clip the Lumo Lift, a chiplike gadget about the size of a thumb, onto their shirt, it analyzes neck and spinal positions and vibrates when they’re less than ideal. Although the system isn’t perfect—it can buzz when you lean for necessary reasons, like taking a phone call—it has exceeded internal sales goals. Half of its users are women, which is impressive given that early adopters for gadgets often tilt male.