The Ergonomic Keyboard

            Mass production of products does not take into account that humans come in various shapes and sizes. The proportions of a chair that work well to support a six foot tall body frame can add stress and challenges to a smaller sized person. Mass production can make the most commonplace products difficult to use. Considerations like the size and shape of tools and how they fit into the hand that will use them are important to ergonomic design. 

            The need for ergonomic design is thought to have originated during World War II, when it became apparent that military systems could be more effective if they took into account the environmental requirements of the soldiers operating them. After incorporating ergonomic changes in some military systems, efficiency and effectiveness as well as safety were improved. The number of manufacturers and business recognizing the benefits of ergonomic design principals continues to grow…

            With all that said, I give you the Ergonomic Keyboard. For those of you not so familiar with this product, an Ergonomic Keyboard is a computer keyboard designed with ergonomic considerations. Let’s take a look at this rather strange looking invention:

Safety- Sufferers of carpal tunnel goes through injections, wear wrists guards and they will no longer have the ability to type as they once did! The idea behind the Ergonomic Keyboard is that it overcomes the stress and strains people inflict on themselves as a result of frequent extending of the hands, wrists, and fingers which take place on a traditional keyboard over the course of several hours on a daily basis. This is most true with those who work in an office, behind a computer day-in and day-out.

Comfort- Your hands, wrists, shoulders and back are the areas of your body most vulnerable to repetitive strain injury. An Ergonomic Keyboard is going to keep your hands, wrists and shoulders in a better position and the hands do not crowd the keyboard, as in case of traditional keyboards. Ergonomic Keyboards provide a natural position that reduces muscle stress and strain while typing. The split keyboards are designed to specificity fit the position of the wrist and hands while typing. Instead of conforming your hands to the keyboard, the keyboard is conformed to the natural way your hands, fingers and wrist are positioned when typing.

Ease of use- Many people who use ergonomic split keyboards find the positioning of the keys to be natural. Instead of forcefully pressing the keyboard keys, an ergonomic keyboard is designed so that you only have to use a light touch in order to type. Two-and-three-key combinations also come easier when using this special keyboard. Granted most people feel a two to three week transitioning period, generally users don’t experience too much trouble adjusting.

Performance/ Productivity- Although Ergonomic Keyboards have many health benefits, that doesn’t make them any less efficient than a traditional keyboard. In fact, it is quite the opposite. These split keyboards have shown an increase in their users’ type speed, which ultimately result in more efficiency in the work place and again, less stress for the person behind the keyboard.

Aesthetics- In all fairness, for everything an Ergonomic Keyboard has to offer, it doesn’t look toooo bad. But let’s be real, it is not the best looking keyboard on the market. A common ergonomic keyboard design is one where the keyboards seems to be split in half, and each half is positioned on an angle to match the shape of your wrists when typing. Usually ergonomic split keyboards come in two types. The "split" or the divide of the two parts of the keyboard can either be altered in angles or the split angle is fixed. A fixed-split ergonomic keyboard uses a single board just as any other inline keyboard may use, but this one is probably curved slightly outward. The other type of ergonomic split keyboard is the adjustable split keyboard. This keyboard is split into several independent pieces, allowing you to increase or decrease the space between the groups of keys, ultimately making it more personalized to your wrists and hands.

            A thorough understanding of the specific tasks an object is intended for is central to achieving the ergonomic design goal of aiding the human form in executing them. Quality ergonomics is thought to reduce the risk of injury and errors by ensuring that technology and humanity fit and are working together. Greater accuracy and more efficient performance will be achieved by meeting human needs with technology. But best of all, quality of life will also be improved.

          Don’t you find it rather intriguing that even today, after more than 140 years, all conventional keyboards and other ergonomic keyboards are based on 1860s typewriter's staggered key arrangement design?