The keyboard remains the least economically designed computer device (original) (raw)
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The keyboard remains the least ergonomically designed computer device
Ergonomic devices are often designed to provide more comfort and to increase productivity but they can also help avoid pain and specific injuries. The ergonomic design of a computer keyboard needs expertise in ergonomics and biomechanics. The existence of a large category of typists with slow typing skills, visually searching the seemingly random keyboard, including novice users and the analysis of existing standards and keyboards leads to the conclusion that existing QWERTY based keyboards still remain the least ergonomically designed computer devices and need to be improved. This paper discusses the existing standards in ergonomics and the various commercial keyboards and makes observations about the ergonomic design features and the wrong recommendations of some standards.
Ergonomic keyboards- a comparative posture and usability study
1997
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Keyboard Design? Postural behavior evaluation during interaction with keyboards and typewriters
2008
The study has evaluated macro and micro postural analysis and angular relationships of the main anatomical segments involved in the activity of typewriting in old typewriters and current computer keyboards. Our protocol consider this objects with the goals to identify and to rescue structural benefits of the old typewriters that were not incorporated in the current design of keyboards for computers, as well as those activities' aspects and properties. As results, we have that some old typewriters' attributes which were not considered for the design of new computer keyboards can contribute to reduce the wrist overload.
The Effect of Keyboard Key Spacing on Typing Speed, Error, Usability, and Biomechanics, Part 2
Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 2013
Objective: The objective was to evaluate the effects of vertical key spacing on a conventional computer keyboard on typing speed, percentage error, usability, forearm muscle activity, and wrist posture for both females with small fingers and males with large fingers. Background: Part 1 evaluated primarily horizontal key spacing and found that for male typists with large fingers, productivity and usability were similar for spacings of 17, 18, and 19 mm but were reduced for spacings of 16 mm. Few other key spacing studies are available, and the international standards that specify the spacing between keys on a keyboard have been mainly guided by design convention. Method: Experienced female typists ( n = 26) with small fingers (middle finger length ≤ 7.71 cm or finger breadth of ≤ 1.93 cm) and male typists ( n = 26) with large fingers (middle finger length ≥ 8.37 cm or finger breadth of ≥ 2.24 cm) typed on five keyboards that differed primarily in vertical key spacing (17 × 18, 17 × 1...
The effect of six keyboard designs on wrist and forearm postures
Applied Ergonomics, 2007
There is increasing evidence that alternative geometry keyboards may prevent or reduce arm pain or disorders, and presumably the mechanism is by reducing awkward arm postures. However, the effect of alternative keyboards, especially the new designs, on wrist and arm postures are not well known. In this laboratory study, the wrist and forearm postures of 100 subjects were measured with a motion analysis system while they typed on 6 different keyboard configurations. There were significant differences in wrist extension, ulnar deviation, and forearm pronation between keyboards. When considering all 6 wrists and forearm postures together, the keyboard with an opening angle of 121, a gable angle of 141, and a slope of 01 appears to provide the most neutral posture among the keyboards tested. Subjects most preferred this keyboard or a similar keyboard with a gable angle of 81 and they least preferred the keyboard on a conventional laptop computer. These findings may assist in recommendations regarding the selection of keyboards for computer usage. r
Ergonomics, 2006
This study aimed to compare and analyse rubber-dome desktop, springcolumn desktop and notebook keyboards in terms of key stiffness and fingertip typing force. The spring-column keyboard resulted in the highest mean peak contact force (0.86N), followed by the rubber dome desktop (0.68N) and the notebook (0.59N). All these differences were statistically significant. Likewise, the spring-column keyboard registered the highest fingertip typing force and the notebook keyboard the lowest. A comparison of forces showed the notebook (rubber dome) keyboard had the highest fingertip-to-peak contact force ratio (overstrike force), and the spring-column generated the least excess force (as a ratio of peak contact force). The results of this study could aid in optimizing computer key design that could possibly reduce subject discomfort and fatigue.
Kinematic analysis of the traditional keyboard typing in computers using different inclinations
Fitness & Performance Journal, 2008
The use of computers has led to an increase of all kinds of musculoskeletal upper extremity-related problems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare the variables of angular kinematics of the wrist joint in typing activities with and without the use of an inclination rod for the keyboard. This study is characterized as a descriptive one of the type case study. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed of one female individual aged 23 years old. For the data collect, a DSC-P32 60 Hertz Sony ® digital camera and DGEEME ® software, version 0.98b were used. To compare the kinematic characteristics of two situations (with or without inclination rods for the keyboard) was used the Wilcoxon non-parametric test, p<0.05. Results: The results showed that on the keyboard with rods the maximum wrist fl exion was 5.55° and the maximum extension was 27.87°, while on the keyboard without rods was 13.72°, and 19.38° of fl exion and extension, respectively. There was a significant difference between typing on the keyboard with and without rods (p<0.01). It was found that the wrist remained 71.8% and 52.2% of the time in positions rated as very good and characterized as neutral on the keyboard with and without rods, respectively. Discussion: The conclusion is that the keyboard without inclination rods provides with a more appropriate posture for the wrist, remaining most of the time in a position rated as very good.
An assessment of alternate keyboards using finger motion, wrist motion and tendon travel
Clinical Biomechanics, 2000
Objective. To assess the biomechanical impact of commercially available alternate keyboard designs. Design. A repeated measures study was conducted in a laboratory setting, with planned comparisons of Pitch, Roll and Yaw angles of the keyboards. Ten keyboard conditions were tested. Dependent measures included tendon travel, wrist deviations, and wrist and ®nger kinematics. Background. Various alternate keyboard designs have recently been introduced, which vary Pitch, Roll and Yaw angles, separation distance between keyboard halves, and include other novel features such as cup-shaped depressions for the keys. Yet little objective research has been conducted regarding the biomechanical implications of these various design features. This study attempts to quantify the keyboard designs in terms of several recognized risk factors associated with cumulative trauma disorders that arise with repetitive typing. Methods. Wrist and ®nger goniometers were used to measure joint motions during a standardized typing task. 15 experienced typists (8 women, 7 men) served as subjects. Regression equations were used to generate estimates of tendon travel. Results. Tendon travel was aected primarily by Pitch but not Roll or Yaw angles while wrist deviations responded to changes in all three angles. Males had signi®cantly greater amount of tendon travel than female subjects; this dierence was only partially accounted for by anthropometry. Dierences in joint motion may have a greater impact on the amount of tendon travel. Conclusions. Alternate keyboard designs can aect tendon travel by as much as 11%. Relevance As various alternate keyboard designs are marketed, quanti®able biomechanical data such as that provided by this study, will help to assess their impact on the risk factors for cumulative trauma disorders.
Effects of a Multitouch Keyboard on Wrist Posture, Typing Performance and Comfort
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2005
The design of computer keyboards is rapidly evolving as portable computing becomes increasingly ubiquitous due to wireless networking and the increased popularity of personal digital assistants and notebook computers. However, there is a balance between mobility and productivity, in terms of text-entry accuracy and speed, which needs to be maintained as computer keyboards become smaller and slimmer through the introduction of ultra low-profile designs. In addition, the ergonomic benefits, in terms of the reduction of awkward wrist postures and user comfort, of ultra-low profile designs are unclear. This study tests a new prototype ultra-low profile MultiTouch keyless keyboard (MTK) that uses a MultiTouch surface to create an extremely thin typing environment that requires no force to register a keystroke and allows mousing and gestural input on the same surface. In this study, the MTK was tested against a conventional keyboard (CK) for typing speed, accuracy, wrist postures and user comfort. It was hypothesized that the lack of key travel would increase speed and accuracy, while the ultra-thin design would reduce the amount of wrist extension, which could decrease the risk of a wrist injury or other hand and wrist musculoskeletal disorder. Finally, it was hypothesized that there would be a significant short-term learning effect on typing speed and accuracy for the MTK. A laboratory experiment was conducted with 6 males and 6 females typing using two QWERTY keyboard designs: a CK and a MTK. Subjects visited the lab for 1.5 hours for 2 non-consecutive days in the same week, for a total of 3 hours. Each visit consisted of eight randomly assigned 7.5-minute typing tasks of text passages of similar difficulty and identical length. Quantitative measures of typing speed and accuracy were collected using Typing Quick and Easy 13.0 and qualitative measures of user preference and comfort were gathered by self-report questionnaires. A wrist glove electrogoniometer system was used to record right-hand wrist positioning data, which was analyzed to assess the risk of injury. The two keyboards were evaluated in a repeated measures withinsubjects factorial design. Subjects, typed slower (F 1,11 = 41.86, p=0.000) and less accurately (F 1,11 = 23.55, p=0.001) on the MTK during the typing tasks. Subjects preferred the CK and reported a higher level of ease (F 1,11 = 49.732, p=0.00) and enjoyment (F 1,11 = 51.129, p=0.00) during its use. Mean wrist extension was lower for the MTK (F 1,11 = 10.205, p=0.000) while radial and ulnar deviation did not differ significantly between the two keyboards. The MTK had a lower percentage of highest-risk wrist extension (F 1,11 = 6.437, p=0.028), and conversely, a higher percentage of neutral wrist posture (F 1,11 = 12.947, p=0.004). A significant positive linear trend was observed across the within-subjects scores for speed (F 1,11 = 9.308, p=0.011) and accuracy (F 1,11 = 11.903, p=0.005) across tasks in the MTK condition. Limitations to this study include practice effects, due to the naïve subjects' lack of training on the MTK and the limited duration of exposure to this novel keyboard. Fatigue effects may have also been a factor, even though the experimental conditions were spread out over two non-consecutive days in the same week. Future research directions include additional testing of the unique mousing and gestural capabilities of the MTK. Other research suggests that practice and extended exposure to the MTK may raise performance to comparable levels associated with CK devices.