The Sitz Meter

Shown is Robert E. Lewis, a physicist at the Armour Research Foundation, circa 1950, who's experimenting with his "sitz" meter, a device designed to measure chair comfort. Weight sensors on the pads of the chair would turn on corresponding lights on the panels on the wall, showing how the person in the chair (Judy Blumenthal, who looks thrilled to be participating in the experiment) was distributing their weight. Lewis was trying to scientifically design a more comfortable chair.

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Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 01, 2013
Category: Science | Experiments | 1950s

Comments

This guy must be the patron saint of office workers. 😊

Posted by KDP on 10/01/13 at 10:44 AM

By to look of that chair he's starting at the bottom!

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/01/13 at 10:47 AM

Did he make any headway? Most chairs are only comfortable for a little bit. I mean office chairs and waiting room chairs.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 10/01/13 at 11:41 AM

Patty, you're not paying enough for your chairs. A good office chair (one that can last all day) is going to run $600 and up! I paid about $400, in '73, for a chair that lasted 8hrs a day for over 30 years.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/01/13 at 11:45 AM

The chair would probably be more comfortable without the electricity.

Posted by tadchem on 10/01/13 at 04:20 PM

I'll get up and walk around from time to time with a $50 chair thanks.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 10/01/13 at 04:28 PM

My chair is built in to my RV, And I think it's time for some new foam! 😖

Posted by Tyrusguy on 10/01/13 at 10:22 PM

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