Make me move at work! An ambient light display to increase physical activity

Physical inactivity has become a normal condition for many people today, and in the long run accounts for 1 out of 10 deaths world-wide. Long sitting periods have been shown to increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this paper we propose MoveLamp, a system which helps to integrate physical activity into a person's workplace. An ambient light display in the office indicates a person's recent physical activity. While sitting at the desk, typically in front of a computer, the light display helps the person to keep track of his or her activity and encourages them to integrate a little physical activity into the day. Through a user study in which we measured the participants' physical activity by counting their steps, we show that MoveLamp can help office workers to both, increase their number of steps taken during a typical working day and move more frequently.