The computer has made massive changes in the way business is conducted and in the way millions of people conduct their lives. This medium involves the use of hardware which has been analyzed and modified by ergonomists seeking to make the mesh between human and machine more comfortable and more productive. One element that has been given considerable attention is the keyboard. With the increased use of computers, various medical problems were found among heavy users, especially related to repeated motions of the hands and fingers over the keyboard. Researchers have undertaken to redesign the keyboard as to its shape so that it fits the human hand better, and some have tried to redesign the placement of keys for a better fit with the way people type. Some of these experiments have produced new types of keyboards now being introduced, and others are still in the design stage. This is clearly an ergonomic problem that will be carefully examined for some time to come.
The desktop microprocessor was designed originally with little attention given to the keyboard, which was simply carried over from the existing design for the typewriter. The primary change was in the distance traveled by the fingers in making the average keystroke, and this distance was moved from more than one inch on the typewriter to about one-half inch or 4 mm on the personal computer. It has not been moved since that time on the desktop, though portable and laptop computers have keystrokes as short as 2 mm to save on weight and space. While there has been considerable emphasis on ergonomics and occupational health, there has been little research conducted to see if a shorter travel distance would be harmful to workers. The primary danger at present is carpal tunnel syndrome, and legislation has been introduced to protect workers from this disorder without sufficient study into the relationship between key resistance and the force needed and potential injury...