6 ms·

Show HN: Slouch Stoppah

153 points by lnenad 7y ago

lnenad 7y ago
I've made this for myself to help me slouch less, so I thought it might be useful to others. It uses face-api.js to get the user's face, and then tries to guess when you're slouching by capturing the state when you are sitting upright, and then using position and face size in relation to the captured state. All processing is done client side and no data is being sent anywhere. The code is open sourced and can be seen here https://github.com/lnenad/slouch-stoppah https://github.com/lnenad/slouch-stoppah
hammerbrostime 7y ago
Bostonian?
- lnenad 7y ago
  Nope, why?
  - mattmar96 7y ago
    "Stoppah"
29athrowaway 7y ago
There are also electronic posture training devices to help with this.
- tinktank 7y ago
  Can you recommend any?
nchelluri 7y ago
https://medium.com/@nchelluri/you-deserve-a-pull-up-bar-84ec9aabdeb3 https://medium.com/@nchelluri/you-deserve-a-pull-up-bar-84ec... is my alternative
- Noumenon72 7y ago
  One of the bullpens at my new job pitched in and got a pull-up stand! It brings people to visit and makes the place feel like we own it a little. That's a good selling point that it causes you to rotate your shoulder blades back and up. Hanging leg lifts can also be done and are also a much more effective ab exercise than situps (since it only takes 10 reps to get tired, and you can bring your knees closer or farther away to adjust the resistance).
  - closeparen 7y ago
    We had one, until a bean counter had it removed over liability risk.
- pimlottc 7y ago
  I'm a little confused by this brief post. Are they suggesting somehow incorporating the pull-up bar into your workstation setup or just installing one nearby and doing pull-ups periodically during breaks?
  - nchelluri 7y ago
    I think you're overthinking it; I just meant, "do a few pullups every now and then, and you'll feel better."
pipu 7y ago
Very nice work! Thanks for sharing. I can personally recommend Upright Pose, https://www.uprightpose.com/en-try/ https://www.uprightpose.com/en-try/
- kareemm 7y ago
  What benefits did you get from it?
colordrops 7y ago
Daily Mysore yoga and a standing desk will also completely fix posture without needing constant reminders or cyborg devices, but require more effort. There are other great benefits though, such as weight loss, core strength, and pain reduction.
- greggman2 7y ago
  And foot destruction (or at least that was my experience and I had to give up the standing desk) YMMV
  - tcoff91 7y ago
    One needs to be smart with transitioning to standing while working. Just going into it blind isn’t smart. Deskbound by Kelly Starett has a good protocol for transitioning.
    - derefr 7y ago
      How about for people with fallen arches? No length "transition period" can be expected to work out, if standing for hours just isn't in the cards for you, physiologically.
      - friendlybus 7y ago
        My feet are fairly flat and doing basic deadlifts helped move my posture from knees rolling in, toes gripping the floor to my feet resting along the edges of the foot, up to the ball of the foot and my knees straightening out. It helps the lower back and the strain in neck muscles too. Standing desks are a significant change. I got a small amount of swollen ankles the first day of standing for hours. But it works now.
        viburnum 7y ago
        This is really interesting. Why dead lifts?
uvisgrinfelds 7y ago
Love it, already started using it. I was thinking of making something similar; now I don't have to! Thanks.
- lnenad 7y ago
  Thank you, since you wanted to make something similar if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know :)
xwowsersx 7y ago
Very cool. My camera is capturing, but the button for "capture current position" is never enabled. What am I doing wrong here?
- lnenad 7y ago
  Hmm sorry to hear that, can you maybe open the browser console and see if there are any errors?
  - xwowsersx 7y ago
    I don't see any errors. It also freezes up when I click to stop capturing and I have to close the tab. I tried in Incognito in case an extension was causing problems, but had same issue.
    - lnenad 7y ago
      Can you give me more info, browser, os? It's probably something silly as most of these errors are...
  - xwowsersx 7y ago
    Works just fine in FF, but also a bit of a hog on resources? I think it'd be better if it maybe just started/stopped capturing every N minutes or even just used photos instead of video? Presumably, you can do the same analysis with just a photo?
    - lnenad 7y ago
      I know it takes a lot you can increase the interval to reduce it. Good idea though, although starting and stopping of the camera can maybe be buggy/suspicious behavior. I'll definitely add it as an option.
  - rossdavidh 7y ago
    This happened for me at first, but some combination of removing the tape from my camera and refreshing the screen, then hitting "Start Camera", caused the other button to become usable. Works well!
viburnum 7y ago
If your posture is so bad that you literally can’t or don’t know how to stand up straight, your hamstrings might be super tight. Mine were, anyway.
- knowmad 7y ago
  I too have bad posture and super tight hamstrings. Any tips of improving one or both of those things?
  - danenania 7y ago
    I've found strength training with bodyweight exercises to help immensely with both. I'm following the "recommended routine" from the /r/bodyweightfitness subreddit. [1] On hamstring tightness: often when muscles are tight, it's due to a strength imbalance. Runners tend to get tight hamstrings because they work their quads a lot and the hamstrings don't keep up. So while it's a bit of an oversimplification to say that if certain muscles are chronically tight, you can fix that just by making them stronger, it's not too far off. For me it was really that simple: strengthening my hamstrings with hip hinges [2] made them noticeably less tight within about a month. For posture it's basically the same idea. I always thought posture was like a force of will/discipline/habit thing until I finally felt how much easier it is to have that "discipline" after moderately strengthening my back, chest, core, and legs. Standing or sitting up straight is actually a lot of work for our bodies. And if it's basically the hardest thing you regularly subject the relevant muscles to, it's not too surprising that they will get tired out quickly. But if you start doing things that are much harder for each muscle group (like planks, push ups, rows, squats, hinges, etc.), then simply holding yourself up straight gets much easier. 1 - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/ https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/ 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11I-ZWWNGDI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11I-ZWWNGDI
Noumenon72 7y ago
Good habit formation can't hurt, but don't neglect the fundamentals. The thing that's pulling your shoulders forward is not some mental weakness on your part, it's an imbalance in muscle tightness and weakness, like a tent pole with regular guy wires on one side and yarn on the other. You need exercises to strengthen the lower traps like floor Y's and chest supported dumbbell row, plus face pulls and scapular wall slide. https://1h6wllf3f4qfut1832zlo21e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/upper-body-cross-syndrome.jpeg https://1h6wllf3f4qfut1832zlo21e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-... (upper cross syndrome diagram) https://www.t-nation.com/training/top-priority-for-lower-traps https://www.t-nation.com/training/top-priority-for-lower-tra... (prone Y) https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19521507/chest-supported-dumbbell-row/ https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19521507/chest-supported... (chest supported dumbbell row) https://www.t-nation.com/training/whats-your-weak-link https://www.t-nation.com/training/whats-your-weak-link (scapular wall slide)
raldi 7y ago
I can't get the initial overlay to close (Chrome on iPhone). Neither the close button nor the X do anything.
Yenrabbit 7y ago
Started up my own version of this ~10 seconds before I saw this story. It's amazing how a simple program ("yell at the user if face position < threshold") is enough to quickly train some better habits.
chrisbennet 7y ago
"slouching" in the other direction is supposed to be good. 'http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6187080.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6187080.stm

153 points by lnenad 7y ago

I've made this for myself to help me slouch less, so I thought it might be useful to others. It uses face-api.js to get the user's face, and then tries to guess when you're slouching by capturing the state when you are sitting upright, and then using position and face size in relation to the captured state. All processing is done client side and no data is being sent anywhere. The code is open sourced and can be seen here https://github.com/lnenad/slouch-stoppah https://github.com/lnenad/slouch-stoppah

hammerbrostime 7y ago

Bostonian?

lnenad 7y ago
Nope, why?
- mattmar96 7y ago
  "Stoppah"

29athrowaway 7y ago

There are also electronic posture training devices to help with this.

tinktank 7y ago
Can you recommend any?

nchelluri 7y ago

https://medium.com/@nchelluri/you-deserve-a-pull-up-bar-84ec9aabdeb3 https://medium.com/@nchelluri/you-deserve-a-pull-up-bar-84ec... is my alternative

Noumenon72 7y ago
One of the bullpens at my new job pitched in and got a pull-up stand! It brings people to visit and makes the place feel like we own it a little. That's a good selling point that it causes you to rotate your shoulder blades back and up. Hanging leg lifts can also be done and are also a much more effective ab exercise than situps (since it only takes 10 reps to get tired, and you can bring your knees closer or farther away to adjust the resistance).
- closeparen 7y ago
  We had one, until a bean counter had it removed over liability risk.
pimlottc 7y ago
I'm a little confused by this brief post. Are they suggesting somehow incorporating the pull-up bar into your workstation setup or just installing one nearby and doing pull-ups periodically during breaks?
- nchelluri 7y ago
  I think you're overthinking it; I just meant, "do a few pullups every now and then, and you'll feel better."

pipu 7y ago

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing. I can personally recommend Upright Pose, https://www.uprightpose.com/en-try/ https://www.uprightpose.com/en-try/

kareemm 7y ago
What benefits did you get from it?

colordrops 7y ago

Daily Mysore yoga and a standing desk will also completely fix posture without needing constant reminders or cyborg devices, but require more effort. There are other great benefits though, such as weight loss, core strength, and pain reduction.

greggman2 7y ago
And foot destruction (or at least that was my experience and I had to give up the standing desk) YMMV
- tcoff91 7y ago
  One needs to be smart with transitioning to standing while working. Just going into it blind isn’t smart. Deskbound by Kelly Starett has a good protocol for transitioning.
  - derefr 7y ago
    How about for people with fallen arches? No length "transition period" can be expected to work out, if standing for hours just isn't in the cards for you, physiologically.
    - friendlybus 7y ago
      My feet are fairly flat and doing basic deadlifts helped move my posture from knees rolling in, toes gripping the floor to my feet resting along the edges of the foot, up to the ball of the foot and my knees straightening out. It helps the lower back and the strain in neck muscles too. Standing desks are a significant change. I got a small amount of swollen ankles the first day of standing for hours. But it works now.
      - viburnum 7y ago
        This is really interesting. Why dead lifts?

uvisgrinfelds 7y ago

Love it, already started using it. I was thinking of making something similar; now I don't have to! Thanks.

lnenad 7y ago
Thank you, since you wanted to make something similar if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know :)

xwowsersx 7y ago

Very cool. My camera is capturing, but the button for "capture current position" is never enabled. What am I doing wrong here?

lnenad 7y ago
Hmm sorry to hear that, can you maybe open the browser console and see if there are any errors?
- xwowsersx 7y ago
  I don't see any errors. It also freezes up when I click to stop capturing and I have to close the tab. I tried in Incognito in case an extension was causing problems, but had same issue.
  - lnenad 7y ago
    Can you give me more info, browser, os? It's probably something silly as most of these errors are...
- xwowsersx 7y ago
  Works just fine in FF, but also a bit of a hog on resources? I think it'd be better if it maybe just started/stopped capturing every N minutes or even just used photos instead of video? Presumably, you can do the same analysis with just a photo?
  - lnenad 7y ago
    I know it takes a lot you can increase the interval to reduce it. Good idea though, although starting and stopping of the camera can maybe be buggy/suspicious behavior. I'll definitely add it as an option.
- rossdavidh 7y ago
  This happened for me at first, but some combination of removing the tape from my camera and refreshing the screen, then hitting "Start Camera", caused the other button to become usable. Works well!

viburnum 7y ago

If your posture is so bad that you literally can’t or don’t know how to stand up straight, your hamstrings might be super tight. Mine were, anyway.

knowmad 7y ago
I too have bad posture and super tight hamstrings. Any tips of improving one or both of those things?
- danenania 7y ago
  I've found strength training with bodyweight exercises to help immensely with both. I'm following the "recommended routine" from the /r/bodyweightfitness subreddit. [1] On hamstring tightness: often when muscles are tight, it's due to a strength imbalance. Runners tend to get tight hamstrings because they work their quads a lot and the hamstrings don't keep up. So while it's a bit of an oversimplification to say that if certain muscles are chronically tight, you can fix that just by making them stronger, it's not too far off. For me it was really that simple: strengthening my hamstrings with hip hinges [2] made them noticeably less tight within about a month. For posture it's basically the same idea. I always thought posture was like a force of will/discipline/habit thing until I finally felt how much easier it is to have that "discipline" after moderately strengthening my back, chest, core, and legs. Standing or sitting up straight is actually a lot of work for our bodies. And if it's basically the hardest thing you regularly subject the relevant muscles to, it's not too surprising that they will get tired out quickly. But if you start doing things that are much harder for each muscle group (like planks, push ups, rows, squats, hinges, etc.), then simply holding yourself up straight gets much easier. 1 - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/ https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/ 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11I-ZWWNGDI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11I-ZWWNGDI

Noumenon72 7y ago

Good habit formation can't hurt, but don't neglect the fundamentals. The thing that's pulling your shoulders forward is not some mental weakness on your part, it's an imbalance in muscle tightness and weakness, like a tent pole with regular guy wires on one side and yarn on the other. You need exercises to strengthen the lower traps like floor Y's and chest supported dumbbell row, plus face pulls and scapular wall slide. https://1h6wllf3f4qfut1832zlo21e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/upper-body-cross-syndrome.jpeg https://1h6wllf3f4qfut1832zlo21e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-... (upper cross syndrome diagram) https://www.t-nation.com/training/top-priority-for-lower-traps https://www.t-nation.com/training/top-priority-for-lower-tra... (prone Y) https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19521507/chest-supported-dumbbell-row/ https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19521507/chest-supported... (chest supported dumbbell row) https://www.t-nation.com/training/whats-your-weak-link https://www.t-nation.com/training/whats-your-weak-link (scapular wall slide)

raldi 7y ago

I can't get the initial overlay to close (Chrome on iPhone). Neither the close button nor the X do anything.

Yenrabbit 7y ago

Started up my own version of this ~10 seconds before I saw this story. It's amazing how a simple program ("yell at the user if face position < threshold") is enough to quickly train some better habits.

chrisbennet 7y ago

"slouching" in the other direction is supposed to be good. 'http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6187080.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6187080.stm