The desk of the future knows you, perhaps all too well.
It's a sit-or-stand desk, of course, but it's outfitted with sensors that learn your habits and preferences through constant vigilance. When you've been sitting too long, a gentle vibration reminds you to stand. Your chair, also lined with sensors, tells the desk you stood up; the desk, which knows your height, adjusts accordingly. All the while, it monitors your keystrokes and mouse clicks, offering you (and your boss) helpful advice on ergonomics—and productivity. Soon enough it knows whether you need a desk at all—a real question at $10,000 per desk per year—or if you can be consigned to the hot-desking pool, where employees are allotted workspace depending on their demands that week, that day, or that hour.
In other words, say goodbye to your last shred of dignity in the modern, open office.
"We're collecting a lot of objective data about every employee," said Mark Benden, director of ergonomics at Texas A&M University. His standing-desk stations are equipped with 120 sensors that measure any move you could make at your desk, short of an eye roll at your boss. "It’s kind of Orwellian," Benden said. "You think: 'Wow, they are tracking all this stuff on me. Does that mean I'm going to get fired?'" It's a "normal human response," he added reassuringly.
Now, Herman Miller Inc., the second-largest office furniture maker, after Steelcase Inc., has planted a ball bearing in this future. The Zeeland, Michigan, company this month launched its Live OS Smart Furnishings line, whose sensors link up with its standing desks and famous Aeron office chairs. The sensors and the software that goes along with them sell for $136. The app goes for $60 per desk annually. Furniture not included.