文本输入任务中键盘设计对舒适性和生产率的影响
The impact of keyboard design on comfort and productivity in a text-entry task
起止页码：9-11
外文原文
The impact of keyboard design on comfort and productivity in a text-entry task
Concerns have arisen that the keyboard is a causal factor in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) among video display terminal (VDT) operators. A number of alternative keyboard designs have been developed with altered geometry in an effort to improve comfort in keyboard operation. However, few data are available to substantiate whether these new keyboard designs are actually effective in reducing discomfort and musculoskeletal problems in users. The purpose of this study was to provide data on the efficacy of certain alternative keyboard design features (e.g. splitting the keyboard in half, and laterally inclining the keyboard halves) in reducing fatigue and musculoskeletal discomfort among keyboard operators. The study also explored the effects of these design features on performance. Fifty subjects performed a text-entry task for one day on a standard keyboard, then were assigned to one of five keyboard conditions for an evaluation period of two days (i.e. 10 subjects/condition). Outcome measures included performance (i.e. keystrokes/h, errors/h) and self-report measures of discomfort and fatigue. The results indicated an initial decline in productivity when subjects began typing on two of the alternative keyboards, but these productivity losses were recovered within the two-day evaluation period. The results also indicated no significant differences between keyboard conditions in discomfort and fatigue. These results suggest a minimal impact of the keyboard design features examined in this study on productivity, comfort and fatigue, at least after two days of exposure. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd
Keywords: alternative keyboard design, keyboard evaluation, work-related musculoskeletal disorders
Introduction
A number of studies have demonstrated that the standard keyboard design promotes awkward work postures which are associated with neck, shoulder, arm and hand/wrist discomfort among keyboard operators (Ferguson and Duncan, 1974; Grandjean, 1978; Hunting et al, 1981; Kroemer, 1972; Zipp et al, 1983). Problematic postures include forearm pronation close to the anatomical limit, ulnar deviations of 20-40 degrees from neutral, wrist extension and prolonged upper arm/shoulder abduction (Figure I). As early as 1926, Klockenberg described these postural problems in keyboard work and suggested redesign features to alleviate the discomforts of keyboard work, such as splitting the keyboard in the center, and laterally tilting the left and right sections of ,the keyboard (Klockenberg, 1926). Between the early 1970s and mid-1980s European researchers refined and studied Klockenbergrsquo;s proposed keyboard design (Grandjean, 1978; Kroemer, 1972; Malt, 1977; Nakaseko et al, 1985). The primary design features of these keyboards included: (1) lo-15 degrees of horizontal rotation of the right and left keyboard halves in order to reduce ulnar deviation; (2) 25-60 degrees of lateral inclination of the keyboard halves to reduce forearm pronation and abduction of the upper arms; and (3) crescent-shaped, rather than parallel, key rows to conform to the anatomical shape of the hand. In general, these researchers reported greater subject preferences for the alternative keyboard designs, and some reported that subjects experienced less discomfort while using the alternative keyboards. Several alternative keyboards were developed based on this research, and marketed in Europe and the United States (e.g. the STR keyboard; Buesen, 1984). Within the last five years, commensurate with increasing public concern about VDT work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs), interest has again arisen in alternative keyboards and their potential role in the prevention of WRMDs. Consequently, a number of alternative keyboard designs have been developed which are similar in design to those developed by Kroemer (1972) Malt (1977) and Nakaseko et al (1983, and which purport to relieve various risk factors for WRMDs. However, few data are available to substantiate the efficacy of these alternative keyboard designs in the prevention or alleviation of musculoskeletal discomfort and WRMDs.
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