Spine Align

"Spine Align uses computer vision and AI to detect slouching and remind you to correct your posture, helping prevent back pain and improve health. Perfect posture, anytime, anywhere!"

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Inspiration

From a recent observation, we have noticed that the majority of Computer Science students don’t exactly have the best back posture. This common issue inspired us to create a solution for educational institutions to help support the long-term health of their students while they’re studying in lecture halls.

What it does

Spine Align uses advanced computer vision and machine learning algorithms to monitor your posture in real-time. When it detects that you’re slouching, it sends you a gentle reminder notification to adjust your posture. The app works seamlessly in the background, ensuring you maintain a healthy posture while sitting whether at your personal desk or lecture halls.

How we built it

We developed Spine Align using state-of-the-art computer vision technology. The app uses your device’s camera to monitor your posture and processes the video feed in real-time to detect slouching. We also incorporated user-friendly notifications to ensure that reminders are effective yet unobtrusive.

Spine Align first uses a web app to record video footage of the lecture hall students are studying at. Then, a server processes and analyzes the video footage recorded by the web application. Finally, the mobile application polls for the results produced by the server to then alert the students of any slouching they may be doing.

Challenges we ran into

This was the first time any of us used so many AI models within a single application, and we had to fine-tune each one of them. This was also 3 of our group member’s first time attending an overnight hackathon, and the first time we combined so many tools and libraries together. We changed from a hardware implementation to a flutter implementation halfway through the hackathon, which made our hardware guy very sad. We also faced numerous physical and mental health issues here at Waterloo, including but not limited to: nosebleeds, chest sprains, overexertion, and minor hearing damage.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud to have created a functional app that accurately detects poor posture and provides timely reminders. We utilized many technologies we have never even thought of touching before we began developing Spine Align.

What we learned

Throughout the development process, we learned a great deal about computer vision and machine learning, particularly in the context of real-time applications. We also gained insights into user experience design, ensuring that our app is both functional and user-friendly.

What's next for Spine Align

Moving forward, we plan to enhance Spine Align with additional features such as personalized posture improvement plans and integration with wearable devices for more comprehensive posture monitoring. We also aim to expand our user base beyond students to include professionals and anyone looking to improve their posture and overall health.

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