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 lout 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.