Decoding my
60 days of sitting

I tracked my sitting distribution against the seat cushion by placing force and motion sensors over it. Stunned by the discovery of how many times I slacked off unconsciously, I visualized the entire phenomena of my butt's behavioral patterns as if it has a mind of its own.


How does the 'butt-tracking' works?

I already have a pre-existing AIKA seat cushion where I placed the force sensors and a Secret Lab chair which I heard it scream it didn't want to get involved in this ridiculous nonsensery.

Six force sensors are placed under the cushion seat and measures applied weight.

seat ensors placement illustration

The microcontroller measures the voltage levels generated from the varying force sensors.

ic chip icon

Measurement occurs whenever a pressure in the seat gets detected or whenever the chair moves

wifi icon

The data is then logged to the Google sheets via internet through Wifi.

google sheet icon

How did I built the tracking devices?

Device setup

I built the prototype with a simple breadboard and placed inside a thin and disposable tupperware I stole from my housemates cupboard.

Then I placed the simple device prototype inside a tote bag, hanged behind the seat so it can flexibly move around along with the chair.

Force sensors over the seat cushion

Each sensors were placed in a circular manner. It involved with a lots of spaghetti wires as you can see in the photos.

Movement with temperature/humidity sensors

These sensors were encased inside a tiny enclosure and then placed separately under the back seat.

You wonder I placed them there? If we place it over the seat cushion, it would be uncomfortable to sit on a lump of block, don't you think?

How did I categorized my 'butt-prints'?

I classified my seat pattern by calculating the angular average of the different combinations of activated sensors. Then, the average angle is then compared from the 10 defined set of directions and the 'butt-print' is then binned to its equivalent direction.

upper-right

up

upper-left

right

fully-centered

left

lower-right

down

lower-left

empty

Explore my 60 days of sitting

If we try to reimagine how I actually seated using the collected seat pattern data, how do you think I would actually look like?

Inspired from a dance dance revo gaming mat, here's the scrolly visualization of the entire days of sitting.

15:00 - March 10, 2023

  • I'm normally at work during these hours.
15:00
134
7
24
16:00
14
3
7
260
17:00
59
18
5
216
18:00
52
9
2
17
19:00
71
12
1
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
5
18
32
March 11
134
1
1
4
122
01:00
263
9
52
02:00
153
16
1
1
62
03:00
104
32
1
97
04:00
225
43
1
69
05:00
140
79
9
138
06:00
125
9
36
07:00
223
1
95
08:00
31
36
16
143
09:00
8
151
10:00
45
62
169
11:00
120
12:00
211
5
13:00
169
21
14:00
452
2
15:00
128
3
16:00
264
71
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 12
01:00
113
220
02:00
158
191
03:00
195
5
107
04:00
129
4
129
59
27
05:00
28
19
3
06:00
07:00
08:00
12:00
141
1
3
2
13:00
243
4
1
25
14:00
239
18
1
15:00
72
80
70
3
24
16:00
29
203
8
69
17:00
21
31
1
18:00
1
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 13
01:00
1
91
02:00
104
7
10
4
03:00
111
2
3
1
15
04:00
78
21
20
05:00
1
3
1
06:00
66
66
9
07:00
5
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
8
4
3
26
12:00
13
2
86
13:00
66
51
16
14:00
32
5
52
15:00
52
1
20
16:00
41
57
17:00
14
2
42
18:00
28
16
37
04:00
15
17
7
05:00
4
14
06:00
10
21
07:00
76
3
08:00
9
09:00
22
5
10:00
55
13
16
5
11:00
45
14
16
12:00
35
16
31
3
13:00
7
3
73
4
14:00
3
1
15:00
2
83
29
16:00
2
8
39
12
12
17:00
31
73
48
18:00
55
8
34
4
32
19:00
46
17
22
20:00
27
21
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 15
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
1
94
26
05:00
33
15
1
60
06:00
75
3
4
50
07:00
12
1
19
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
1
20
20
20
89
12:00
84
13:00
18
9
15
14:00
21
27
15:00
20
6
66
16:00
4
9
15
17:00
9
4
72
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 16
01:00
02:00
03:00
12
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
28
2
13:00
14
18
38
14:00
44
13
1
15:00
38
1
1
4
16:00
1
17:00
18:00
6
3
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 17
01:00
25
02:00
33
67
5
7
03:00
16
42
9
04:00
56
60
05:00
133
1
15
06:00
83
13
5
07:00
3
29
08:00
62
70
28
09:00
21
5
10:00
18
128
63
11:00
23
34
40
12:00
24
20
13:00
1
4
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 18
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
05:00
06:00
1
07:00
100
9
47
08:00
87
6
9
20
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
62
8
2
14:00
150
15:00
117
12
16:00
65
1
17:00
50
12
5
18:00
16
13
4
22:00
23:00
March 20
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
14
12:00
64
14
1
13:00
126
4
4
9
14:00
89
31
35
15:00
96
5
6
16:00
89
19
7
17:00
16
2
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 21
01:00
83
32
02:00
125
03:00
79
3
11
04:00
68
2
14
05:00
10
3
76
06:00
19
17
13
07:00
33
1
26
08:00
09:00
21
18
10:00
108
5
15
4
11:00
33
19
63
12:00
41
2
25
13:00
59
8
1
32
14:00
100
19
8
15:00
50
16
3
32
16:00
3
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 22
01:00
31
46
12
02:00
11
17
9
03:00
53
2
4
04:00
72
5
1
14
05:00
27
26
20
06:00
59
57
8
07:00
45
44
16
08:00
39
53
12
09:00
36
72
40
10:00
75
53
14
11:00
12:00
13:00
26
28
14:00
13
30
63
15:00
72
39
9
81
16:00
70
9
1
26
17:00
1
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 23
01:00
02:00
60
13
22
03:00
90
8
2
4
04:00
111
2
11
05:00
5
125
45
06:00
19
42
2
16
07:00
48
13
6
08:00
24
37
1
39
09:00
46
18
3
25
10:00
17
36
16
11:00
14
1
12:00
13:00
10
32
16
14:00
35
7
15:00
6
55
41
16:00
18
14
17:00
7
1
18:00
5
47
2
4
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
01:00
7
1
02:00
03:00
81
10
04:00
7
47
1
4
05:00
35
06:00
19
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
March 25
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
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23:00
March 26
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
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March 27
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00