Meet Kuushy: Sit your way to better health

The smart cushion is paired with an AI-enabled Posture Coach that provides personalised prompts for users to adjust and correct their posture effectively

SINGAPORE, Aug. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Poor posture can lead to a whole range of problems – from neck and back pains to even heartburn and constipation^[1] – one Singaporean startup is aiming to help working adults alleviate these problems by adopting healthier sitting habits. TACNIQ, a pioneering technology company that specialises in advanced tactile sensor technology, today unveiled Kuushy, a smart cushion with an AI-enabled Posture Coach designed to improve posture habits and promote a healthier lifestyle.

No more sitting on your posture problems

Lower back pain affects about eight in 10 working adults in Singapore^[2], and clinicians have noted increased number of patients developing sedentary-related musculoskeletal conditions since the onset of work-from-home arrangements amid the pandemic^[3].

Kuushy addresses the growing issue of poor posture and its impact on physical health by offering real-time posture monitoring and personalised posture correction coaching. Leveraging TACNIQ's tactile sensor technology and AI pattern recognition, the smart seat cushion discreetly tracks and recognises seven common sitting postures, and provides gentle reminders for users to correct their posture and recommend personalised stretches based on users' habits.

Kuushy's 3 steps to better back health:

• Intervene: Sensors detect and analyse the user's posture in real-time. Timely reminders are sent to users via app notifications, offering guidance on posture correction.
• Motivate: Kuushy's app tracks user progress and sets personal goals, motivating users to continue good posture practices.
• Train: Personalised stretching exercises are recommended based on historical sitting information.

Users can begin using Kuushy by laying the smart cushion on their seat and using the Kuushy app to pair their smartphone with the cushion. Once seated, embedded sensors automatically send pressure information to the paired device, which evaluates the sitter's posture using an AI algorithm.

Users will receive a gentle reminder with recommendations to adjust their posture, helping them maintain healthy sitting habits. The app encourages users to adopt more healthy sitting habits over time by showing hours of good posture achieved over weeks and months. Kuushy also prompts users to perform stretches and exercises, tailored to their sitting habits.

Kuushy has plans to integrate with healthcare tracking apps, for a seamless and holistic healthcare experience.

The cushion is designed to work for a whole week on a full charge. Recharging is as simple as plugging it into a USB charger via the USB C port.

"Back strain caused by poor posture is something that almost everyone experiences. As people today spend more time seated, we saw an opportunity to apply our research to alleviate a problem that is growing  globally," said Aashish Mehta, CEO, TACNIQ. "Kuushy allows working adults to improve health habits without making major changes to our lifestyle, by turning work hours into 'back health hours'. This in turn enables us to maintain an active lifestyle and cultivate good health habits in the long term."

The Kuushy launches 28th August on Kickstarter. Pledge amount for reward start from US$99 at 55% off retail prices.

The project will be open for backing until 27 September 2023 .

For more information, visit Kuushy's Kickstarter page:https://tinyurl.com/kuushyko

TACNIQ's innovation journey

The launch of Kuushy marks a significant milestone for TACNIQ as it continues to develop practical applications of research based on advanced robotic sensing capabilities.

Established following more than 3 years of research, TACNIQ was venture built by SGInnovate and a spinoff from the National University of Singapore (NUS). The company was spun out of a project supported by the National Research Foundation's Central Gap Fund, which enables translation of research to commercial ventures.

The company is currently being incubated at iHealthTech's innovation suites within NUS, and is founded by:

• Professor Harold Soh, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, NUS, Associate Director of the NUS AI Lab and Principal Investigator at the Smart Systems Institute
• Professor Benjamin Tee, Associate Vice President at NUS Enterprise and Vice Dean for Research (College of Design and Engineering), NUS, and Principal Investigator at the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthTech)
• Aashish Mehta, a serial entrepreneur whose past ventures include Medarwin and TransferFi. Ever since graduating from University of Wisconsin, he has dedicated his life to technological innovation with the goal of making a positive impact on the world

Other applications of TACNIQ's robotic sensing research that are currently in development include a smart back brace that helps reduce risk of workplace injury caused by heavy lifting, as well as an 'e-skin' solution that provides robots with a sense of touch.

"Kuushy is just one showcase of how TACNIQ's advanced sensing and robotics research can be applied to solve everyday problems. We are excited by the possibilities that we can create by extending Tacniq's technologies to other sectors, from manufacturing and logistics to automotive design," said Aashish.

Images of Kuushy can be downloaded here.

About TACNIQ

TACNIQ is a pioneering technology company focused on developing cutting-edge e-skin technology for enhancing human experiences and well-being. By bridging the gap between physical and digital realities, TACNIQ aims to revolutionize interactions and transform personal wellness.

For media queries, please contact: hello@kuushy.com