March 4, 2019 at 10:26We transform the workplace into a recumbent for $ 200
According to the Australian neurophysiologist Darren Lipniki, people better solve creative problems in a supine position. This is due to norepinephrine, which does not allow us to relax while the body is in an upright position.
The idea of lying on a computer first came to me when I was still a student, when, after sitting on a cheap office chair, my lower back was very numb. A quick search on the Internet showed that office fashion was silent about this, and inexpensive home-made solutions exist, but it all looked so dubious and unaesthetic that it discouraged any desire to repeat the feats of craftsmen.
The idea was forgotten for many years, and I returned to it as a mature developer, accidentally seeing a video once on YouTube about Zero Gravity Workstation. Everything in this project is fine except for the price. It seemed to me too wasteful to pay about 5 thousand dollars to change the position of the body in space, even despite the full support of my wife: “Buy, of course, the computer is your main occupation, undoubtedly you are worth it! Gather a little and ... ". No, honey. Thank you but no.
So I set out to assemble a design that is not much inferior in terms of convenience and aesthetics, but much cheaper.
I started the search with the most important part - the sunbed. The choice settled on a folding deck chair . I had some doubts about its durability and comfort, but they vanished as soon as I tried it in my life.
The next step was to place the monitors - I have two of them. I chose the easiest mountto the table, without newfangled gas lifts. Having tried on the resulting design, I outlined the path for the following improvements. A laptop or keyboard, no matter how light they are, is uncomfortable to keep on your lap - too low and even their small weight is tiring anyway. To solve this, aliexpress ordered a hanging shelf with a mount to the laptop table. She in my case had to be placed upside down so that the mount was lower, and not higher.
There was no place for a mouse. At first, I wanted to try to make a shelf too, expanding the arm of a chaise lounge, but googling stopped at a new and unusual version with a trackball(to experiment - so complete!). Subsequently, I did not regret it, it was very easy to get used to the trackball and it was even easier to control the cursor with the movement of the fingers than to move the wrist with the mouse. Tunnel syndrome, it’s not in you, but in me, we cannot be together.
When everything was ordered, it arrived and settled - one more drawback was discovered, the workplace was rather inconvenient to occupy and leave. To solve this problem, the deck chair was put on small wheels from a furniture store, after which the exit from the computer with the departure back began to resemble bailouts.
What is especially pleasing, if necessary, in a couple of minutes the workplace transforms into “normal” - the monitors simply unfold in the opposite direction, and the laptop is placed on the table. In the supine position, the second part of the table is used for manual work. I like to think while drawing on the board, so she took center stage.
In operation, I want to note two points. Firstly, I really stopped getting tired physically while at the computer. Before that, I tried various office chairs, including quite expensive ones, with all possible adjustments, and a chaise lounge is still more convenient due to the lack of load on the back.
Secondly, I began to approach the computer less after hours. The monitor on the table doesn’t attract you: “Come, look, if someone wrote there”, a certain line appeared between the classes and this made life better.
Transformation Estimate:
Total: $ 200 (if you already have a table and a computer)
I hope my modest experiments will inspire other seekers of working comfort for new discoveries.
UPD: Added a video on how to get there, get out and why a deck chair is desirable folding.
The idea of lying on a computer first came to me when I was still a student, when, after sitting on a cheap office chair, my lower back was very numb. A quick search on the Internet showed that office fashion was silent about this, and inexpensive home-made solutions exist, but it all looked so dubious and unaesthetic that it discouraged any desire to repeat the feats of craftsmen.
The idea was forgotten for many years, and I returned to it as a mature developer, accidentally seeing a video once on YouTube about Zero Gravity Workstation. Everything in this project is fine except for the price. It seemed to me too wasteful to pay about 5 thousand dollars to change the position of the body in space, even despite the full support of my wife: “Buy, of course, the computer is your main occupation, undoubtedly you are worth it! Gather a little and ... ". No, honey. Thank you but no.
So I set out to assemble a design that is not much inferior in terms of convenience and aesthetics, but much cheaper.
I started the search with the most important part - the sunbed. The choice settled on a folding deck chair . I had some doubts about its durability and comfort, but they vanished as soon as I tried it in my life.
The next step was to place the monitors - I have two of them. I chose the easiest mountto the table, without newfangled gas lifts. Having tried on the resulting design, I outlined the path for the following improvements. A laptop or keyboard, no matter how light they are, is uncomfortable to keep on your lap - too low and even their small weight is tiring anyway. To solve this, aliexpress ordered a hanging shelf with a mount to the laptop table. She in my case had to be placed upside down so that the mount was lower, and not higher.
There was no place for a mouse. At first, I wanted to try to make a shelf too, expanding the arm of a chaise lounge, but googling stopped at a new and unusual version with a trackball(to experiment - so complete!). Subsequently, I did not regret it, it was very easy to get used to the trackball and it was even easier to control the cursor with the movement of the fingers than to move the wrist with the mouse. Tunnel syndrome, it’s not in you, but in me, we cannot be together.
When everything was ordered, it arrived and settled - one more drawback was discovered, the workplace was rather inconvenient to occupy and leave. To solve this problem, the deck chair was put on small wheels from a furniture store, after which the exit from the computer with the departure back began to resemble bailouts.
What is especially pleasing, if necessary, in a couple of minutes the workplace transforms into “normal” - the monitors simply unfold in the opposite direction, and the laptop is placed on the table. In the supine position, the second part of the table is used for manual work. I like to think while drawing on the board, so she took center stage.
In operation, I want to note two points. Firstly, I really stopped getting tired physically while at the computer. Before that, I tried various office chairs, including quite expensive ones, with all possible adjustments, and a chaise lounge is still more convenient due to the lack of load on the back.
Secondly, I began to approach the computer less after hours. The monitor on the table doesn’t attract you: “Come, look, if someone wrote there”, a certain line appeared between the classes and this made life better.
Transformation Estimate:
- Castors with furniture $ 15
- Shelf for laptop 70 $
- Trackball Logitech TrackMan Marble $ 35
- Monitor Racks $ 30
- Chaise lounge $ 50
Total: $ 200 (if you already have a table and a computer)
I hope my modest experiments will inspire other seekers of working comfort for new discoveries.
UPD: Added a video on how to get there, get out and why a deck chair is desirable folding.