Reduce Delivery Workers’ Lower Back Pain

This capstone project addresses the critical occupational health challenge of chronic lower back pain among delivery riders, a pathology driven by prolonged static posture and whole-body vibration, by proposing a Smart Tilting Seat that functions as an active ergonomic intervention. Drawing on bio-mimetic principles from pneumatic recovery technologies, the system integrates dynamic, inflatable air units designed to continuously modulate the seating surface, thereby achieving three distinct physiological objectives: it optimizes pressure distribution by cyclically shifting load-bearing zones to prevent static compression of lumbar intervertebral discs; it sustains muscle engagement by introducing controlled micro-instabilities that reflexively recruit core stabilizers to mitigate static fatigue; and it promotes systemic blood flow through rhythmic actuation sequences that mimic hemodynamic compression therapy to counteract venous stasis. By embedding these active recovery mechanisms directly into the delivery vehicle, this research aims to reduce musculoskeletal injury risks and enhance the long-term physical resilience of the logistics workforce.