Differences in Typing Forces, Muscle Activity, Comfort, and Typing Performance Among Virtual, Notebook, and Desktop Keyboards

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aulck L ; Bartha MC ; Harper CA ; Johnson PW ; Kim JH
• Description:
  The present study investigated whether there were physical exposure and typing productivity differences between a virtual keyboard with no tactile feedback and two conventional keyboards where key travel and tactile feedback are provided by mechanical switches under the keys. The key size and layout were same across all the keyboards. Typing forces; finger and shoulder muscle activity; self-reported comfort; and typing productivity were measured from 19 subjects while typing on a virtual (0 mm key travel), notebook (1.8 mm key travel), and desktop keyboard (4 mm key travel). When typing on the virtual keyboard, subjects typed with less force (p's < 0.0001) and had lower finger flexor/extensor muscle activity (p's < 0.05). However, the lower typing forces and finger muscle activity came at the expense of a 60% reduction in typing productivity (p < 0.0001), decreased self-reported comfort (p's < 0.0001), and a trend indicating an increase in shoulder muscle activity (p's < 0.10). Therefore, for long typing sessions or when typing productivity is at a premium, conventional keyboards with tactile feedback may be more suitable interface. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Computers Ergonomics Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Touchscreen Computer Equipment Electromyography Equipment Design Keyboards Muscle Function Posture Typing Biomechanics Upper Extremities
• ISSN:
  0003-6870
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054778
• Citation:
  Appl Ergon 2014 Nov; 45(6):1406-1413
• Contact Point Address:
  Jeong Ho Kim, Northern Illinois University, 590 Garden Road, EB 240, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
• Email:
  jaykim@niu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:308a2ac738749fe973c7689280f8f9b85c6e9214f4976054b561731b83925a50df511c94cb3ddab8861d5ebc6c9f64fa9dc662affac6abf260a327f650e0da44
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217211/cdc_217211_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.11 MB ]