Tech neck is a modern epidemic caused by prolonged device usage and it can lead to significant neck strain and discomfort. This paper addresses the challenge of detecting and preventing tech neck syndrome using non-invasive ubiquitous sensing techniques. We present NeckCare, a novel system leveraging hearable sensors, including IMUs and microphones, to monitor tech neck postures and estimate distance form screen in real-time. By analyzing pitch, displacement, and acoustic ranging data from 15 participants, we achieve posture classification accuracy of 96% using IMU data alone and 99% when combined with audio data. Our distance estimation technique is millimeter-level accurate even in noisy conditions. NeckCare provides immediate feedback to users, promoting healthier posture and reducing neck strain. Future work will explore personalizing alerts, predicting muscle strain, integrating neck exercise detection and enhancing digital eye strain prediction.

翻译：科技颈是一种由长时间使用电子设备引发的现代流行病，可导致严重的颈部劳损与不适。本文探讨了利用非侵入式泛在感知技术检测与预防科技颈综合征的挑战。我们提出了NeckCare系统，该系统创新性地利用可听设备传感器（包括惯性测量单元和麦克风）实时监测科技颈姿态并估算屏幕距离。通过对15名参与者的俯仰角、位移及声学测距数据进行分析，仅使用惯性测量单元数据时姿态分类准确率达96%，结合音频数据后提升至99%。我们的距离估计算法即使在嘈杂环境下也能实现毫米级精度。NeckCare可为用户提供即时反馈，促进健康姿势养成并减轻颈部劳损。未来工作将探索个性化预警机制、肌肉劳损预测、颈部运动检测集成以及数字视觉疲劳预测增强功能。