I guess this is somewhat old news, but I got to see a Steelcase Walkstation in the flesh last night at the Office Concepts party in Chicago. I have to admit when I first heard about this concept a few days ago, I snickered a bit, but the idea is growing on me.

At first I imagined someone trying to run, or even jog, while typing or trying to concentrate. I know when I work out the blood doesn’t seem to flow first to the brain, but your mileage may vary.

I was told that the contraption was intended for walking and working instead, at around 2.5 miles per hour. This could make more sense. Everyone should walk for at least half an hour every day. I’ve always believed humans were not meant to be shackled to a desk all day long, and this might be the next step towards a healthier working lifestyle.

Especially with innovations in the gaming world of controller-less interfaces that use cameras and microphones to detect body motions and sound, it’s not hard to imagine a virtual environment where after donning some kind of headgear you can be “walking” through a sunny glade, collaborating with people you “meet” (actually seamless video-teleconferencing) in a pretty natural way.

With a price tag around $5,000, the Steelcase solution isn’t for everyone, and the do-it-yourselfers are already proving anyone can make a treadmill desk for a lot less money. But you probably won’t get the nifty buttons that allow you to adjust the desk height on the fly.

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Andy Swindler Categories: Entrepreneurship, Fun, Gadget, Technology