Herman Miller has collaborated with internationally renowned designers Jeff Weber and the late Bill Stumpf to produce a chair that restores balance to the human/computer relationship by supporting both the mind and the body.

Embody recognizes that almost all knowledge-based, creative work processes have become tethered to the electronic realm. People are bound to computers for longer periods of time throughout the day, which has contributed to more unhealthy working conditions.  Chairs hinder movement, yet movement is critical to physical health and mental performance.

“The sitter side of the computer-and-sitter interface has never been adequately addressed,” Weber says.

Stumpf and Weber decided to solve the problem. Stumpf, designer or co-designer of Herman Miller’s Aeron chair, passed away in 2006, but his partner Jeff Weber carried on, giving the chair its final function and form.

“Embody is a health-positive seating experience,” says Weber, “because it enhances both your intake of oxygen and the cellular exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, improving your health, and ultimately fueling your brain.” A set of important innovations makes this possible.

• Instinctive back: Inspired by the human spine, Embody’s back adapts to your unique spinal curvature. The back is narrow, allowing your arms to move back and forth naturally. This opens up the chest cavity, letting your lungs take in more air and send more oxygen to the brain.

• Pixelated seat: When you move, the seat moves with you. Using a matrix of pixels, the seat’s unique, three layered construction of materials and technology conforms to micro-movements and distributes weight evenly.

• Zoned Support: The chair removes stresses on your body at every contact point, accommodating a diverse population. Reduced pressure improves circulation and facilitates the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide within cells.

• Working Recline: Embody’s unique tilt mechanism encourages working recline, the most healthful working position. The chair automatically stabilizes your pelvis in the seat pocket in every position and supports your thoracic back while correctly aligning your eyes with the computer screen.

• Inclusive Sizing: Embody accommodates nearly everyone’s abilities, dimensions, and preferences within one chair size. The seat surface length can expand or contract to reduce pressure on the thighs without disrupting the user’s fully-engaged position in the seat pocket. The seat width accommodates the greatest population of hip-breadth dimension. The chair’s arms adjust in height and width to support a full range of work activities and postures.

Embody’s form is defined by these health-positive features. The technology of the chair is not hidden. Instead, it’s a purposeful part of the aesthetic, giving the chair its intriguing look–a “visual feast,” said Stumpf.

Like all Herman Miller products, Embody’s design is based in extensive research, including studies of biomechanics, seating behaviors and postures, anthropometric data, metabolic measures, and tissue perfusion (the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in body tissue).

Embody supports Herman Miller’s commitment to the environment as well, helping Herman Miller reach its environmental sustainability goals of zero landfill, zero hazardous waste generation, and zero VOC emissions by 2020. Embody is MBDC Silver certified and GREENGUARD certified. It has 42 percent recycled content, is 95 percent recyclable, and is PVC-free.

Designed specifically for people who sit at computers Embody makes you feel like you’re floating. It promotes health-positive sitting creating harmony between you and your computer – it is the chair to support your body and your mind.

Embody will be available nationwide from Living Edge.  For details please visit www.livingedge.com.au or call 1300 132 154.