When the device is worn by the trainee

If you're slouching too much or can't figure out how to swing a golf club correctly, a new class of devices that attach to the back,Shop wholesale fashion women flat shoes from cheap wholesale fashion shoesflat. arms or legs promises to help people keep their form by emitting a vibration at the moment they slip up.

Known as wearable "tactile feedback" or "Big Mother" devices, the gadgets have emerged as a result of improved hardware such as small batteries, pressure sensors and microcontrollers, which are tiny computers. Some of the devices also connect wirelessly to a user's smartphone, relying on its computing power.

Some of the new devices build on the work of existing wearable "wellness" products such as those of Fitbit Inc., which measure a person's physical activities and display the information on a smartphone or personal computer.

In recent years, several researchers have developed wearable devices that use vibrations to teach people motor skills such as complex dance moves or piano playing, though much of the research was done in lab settings.

Now, such devices are buzzing outside the lab, with a focus on telling people what not to do.

The LUMOback device, which went on sale in November for $149, comes with a waistband and rests against a person's lower back,Online shopping for bobbleheads Figures from a great selection of Toys. vibrating only when the back isn't kept straight while sitting. "We're helping people develop muscle memory," said Monisha Perkash, chief executive of Lumo BodyTech Inc., based in Palo Alto, Calif.

For Annie Valdes, the LUMOback has succeeded where her real-life mother couldn't. After wearing the device for several months, the 37-year-old from Mountain View, Calif., said her back pain subsided as she figured out how to sit properly at her work desk, meaning the device "only buzzes me a few times an hour."

Mother" devices will become part of employer wellness programs that encourage workers to live healthier lifestyles. Already, some employers offer devices that attach to workers' clothes or shoes, track their physical activities and reward them for meeting goals.

Ms. Epps said the trend can go too far. She cites the "HAPIfork," a table fork that vibrates when it senses that the holder is eating too fast. The hope is that the eater will slow down, giving the digestive system enough time to recognize that it is "full"—and thus not consuming as much food.

"Mindful eating is something we should all strive for," said Ms. Epps, "but turning your fork into a computing device might be overkill."

Andrew Carton,Our laser cutting machine technology uses laser cutting machines and services to cut, an executive of Hong Kong-based Hapilabs Ltd., which plans to start selling the $99 HAPIfork at the end of the second quarter, said that "if we are able to change [how fast people eat] in a simple way, this empowers people to modify their behavior, which creates a domino effect."

Other vibrating devices in earlier stages of development are aimed at helping aspiring athletes, including those who are visually impaired. Several students at Imperial College in London last year designed the "Ghost," which wraps around a person's elbow and wrist.

The device can record information about a sports trainer's swim stroke, tennis serve, golf swing or any other motion. When the device is worn by the trainee,trade platform for China Optical frame manufacturers and global. it vibrates to help guide the person through the motions. When the trainee's motion strays from the trainer's form, certain vibrations become stronger, forcing adjustments in the right direction.

Benedict Copping, one of the Ghost's designers, said he and his colleagues won't consider commercializing the device before they graduate this year.

Last year, Daniel Spelmezan,Want to learn how to make fabric flowers or looking for some crafty inspiration? a part-time snowboarding instructor, published a study on a snowboard system he created to teach the sport to beginners who often "forget all my instructions" while they are on the slopes.