A Glimpse Into Ergonomics

What are ergonomics? A study on the things that make people feel comfortable. People tend to use this word to make them sound professional. Therefore, prices of ergonometric products are overly high😤. A textbook definition says, “the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.” Every product of ergonomics looks fancy to “fit the user”.

Some examples from our daily life are chairs, mice, keyboards…  Although they are familiar items in our daily life, the design behind them requires much innovation and careful thoughts. These products expect one’s body in a stage where it is comfortable to remain. For example, some chairs have a curve so that people can lie on it with less pressure than normal chairs. The key purpose here appears to be helping people remain healthy and comfortable with the help of these products.

Scientists have been working on calculating the pressure of body parts on bones. Our neck is constantly experiencing pressure from our head (it is heavy!), and as we lower our head the pressure becomes higher, causing the neck to  fix in one direction. Now it is time for the cushion on an ergonomic chair! These cushions push the head high up so there isn’t a reason toto lower down and put extra pressure on the neck. This is a mild treatment, since people can still stick their head out to look at their computer. There are “forcing” solutions, like mice and keyboards. I know they look and feel different, but the science here is to let the wrist remain in a more relaxed angle. Keyboards are designed in rectangular shape because companies want their laptopsto be flat, not curved, like Apple with the MacBook Air. Allowing space in the middle, and twisting keys horizontally to the two sides work similarly tomices. Gamers tend to put their keyboard at a tilt because their arm,wrist, andhand are in a straight line. Having a twisted wrist is not good for long durations.

After all of this, are there more ideas in you mind as a solution to this problem? Be careful when experimenting with them since they could be bad habits that might feel comfortable, like drinking soda. Designing an ergonomic product requires much research and data from people, and more to consider than shape, like textures and fillings. However, it is always good to try new things out. There might be a chance your idea appears at a science fair. Good luck!