SitFlow Effect on User Productivity

  • Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, Spring 2021
SitFlows at Use in a Workplace (courtesy of SitFlow.com)
SitFlow is a start-up company that produces under-desk apparatuses that work similarly to ellipticals, yet SitFlows allow people to move while working in a sedentary environment. Previous experiments have been performed in the past examining the physiological and ergonomic aspects of the product. In this case, the group of students worked with SitFlow to design and carry out an experiment tailored to focusing on SitFlow's effects on user's productivity and cognitive ability. Enjoy!

Team SitFlow

Short biographies on the team members and their contributions to the project can be found below. 

Jared McMullen

Industrial Engineering

Jared led the experimentation portion of the study. This entailed completing the experimental set up before every testing period and directing participants during the experiment. After graduation, Jared will be attaining a master’s degree in Business Analytics from Cal Poly’s Orfalea school of Business.

Collette Lee

Industrial Engineering

Collette led the data analysis of the study. She managed weekly meetings with the sponsor and ensured timely completion of assignments. After graduation, Collette will be working as a Quality Leadership Associate at Parker Hannifin.

Carter Bergquist

Industrial Engineering

Carter led communication between the sponsors and the senior project team. He also coordinated the logistics aspect of running the in-person experiment with Cal Poly administrators. After graduation, he will be entering the Sales Development Program at Ingersoll Rand.

Acknowledgements

The group would like to thank the sponsors at SitFlow, Cal Poly students who participated in the experiment, and Tali Freed, Karen Bangs, and the rest of the Cal Poly IME Department for their help and cooperation. 

Our Project's Digital Poster

SitFlow Logo

This project is sponsored by SitFlow

Project Overview

Project Scope

Studies have been performed analyzing SitFlow’s ability to promote simultaneous movement for users. The company would like more information to further verify its effects (or lack thereof) on productivity. The purpose of the project was to design and run an experiment that examines if SitFlow affects user cognitive ability, specifically whether or not cognitive ability is significantly different when an individual is using SitFlow compared to sitting stationary.

Objective

The project’s objective is to run an in-person experiment to conclude whether or not SitFlow has an effect on user cognitive performance. 

Current State

SitFlow has three existing studies:

1) Mayo Clinic: The SitFlow apparatus is certified in NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) demonstrated that the apparatus burns up to 20% more calories than sitting alone.

2) University of Chicago: SitFlow elevated metabolic rate by 17.6% when sitting compared to sitting without disrupting cognition.

3) Tokai University: SitFlow heat production by 18 to 20%, improving blood circulation.

With these studies already existing, the group focused more on the cognitive performance aspect to assess how productive users would be while using SitFlow in a work or classroom setting. 

Non-disclosure Agreement

Since the group agreed to sign an NDA with SitFlow ensuring that the procedure and experimental design would be protected, nothing further can be published for the project. The statistical analysis from the findings is ongoing and will be verified by experts in the experimental field. Once completed, the results will be the basis for a journal that will be published by SitFlow regarding the apparatus’s effect on user cognitive ability in the workplace. 

Video Demo: How to Use SitFlow

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