A commenter recently told me about the Swopper, an award winning office chair designed to emulate the feeling and benefits of sitting on a fitness ball. Designed by German engineers, the Swopper is a form of “active sitting” that encourages … Continue reading
Ergonomics Resources: Uncategorized
Why The Mouse Causes RSI and How Keyboard Shortcuts Can Help
For several reasons, the mouse is the worst offender when it comes to computing injury. Repetitive Strain Injury occurs as a result of the cummulative effect of seemingly small actions carried out over a long period of time, eventually leading … Continue reading
Remote Control, How Did We Live Without You?
A while back I was complaining about remote controls because of lack of standard design and poor usability. Although I still feel my compaints are valid, Bill DeRouchey’s post on History of the Button saluting the inventor of the remote … Continue reading
Office Ergonomics: What NOT to do
Ergonomics workspace advice often focuses on correct posture and correct set up of the monitor and keyboard. Another way to identify and correct bad ergonomic setups is by looking at what NOT to do. Chris Adams provides a useful set … Continue reading
The Dvorak Zine: Learn about Dvorak the fun way
I recently stumbled on DVzine.org via HobbyLobby, and I just have to share. Dvorak is an alterntive keyboard layout (as opposed to QWERTY), that is easier, more efficient, and can potentially prevent injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. Why don’t we … Continue reading
Beyond Multi-Touch: Gesture Based Interaction Technology
I blogged previously about multi-touch technology, an interaction design that has been around for a while but will probably become more popular with the release of the iPhone. Meanwhile, ‘back at the lab’ even more exciting things are in the … Continue reading
Frank Gilbreth: Pioneer of Occupational Ergonomics
Frank Gilbreth (1868-1924) was a pioneer of motion study and occupational ergonomics. He became interested in motion study during his first job as a brick layer, where he noticed that unnecessary motions were primarily responsible for making the job tiring … Continue reading
iGallop: Ride Your Way to Better Health
The iGallop ($400) is a funny looking ‘exercise machine’ available at Brookstone designed to give its users an excellent workout by simulating the action of riding a horse. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwocdImA6Z8] The principle of iGallop is actually quite similar to the principles … Continue reading
GentleMouse Review: Ergonomic Software for RSI Relief
GentleMouse is an ergonomic software program that lets you perform everyday mouse commands simply by making small movements of the cursor over well-placed menu commands. I blogged about GentleMouse when the software was first released, but I had no first … Continue reading
Human Computer Interaction: Breaking the Chair-and-Desk Paradigm
When personal computers first entered our homes and offices a generation ago, we conceptualized them mainly as high tech typewriters. Sit at your desk, look at the screen, and type. Although most computer work is still done via the chair-and-desk … Continue reading