The Design Technology Blog

Category: Ergonomics

  • Ergonomic Keyboard

    Common keyboards force you to type on a flat plane. Also laptop’s have a flat keyboard. This is not the most ergonomically comfortable position to type in. There are several different types of ergonomic keyboard designs or at least designs that claim to be ergonomic. There are contoured keyboard’s like the Kinesis:

    In this design the two areas with keys are the same distance apart as average shoulder width. This causes the person using it to not  have to make as much shoulder movements.

    There are also keyboards that only split the keys into two seperate groups. “Split Keyboards” such as this one made by Apple:

    This is the Apple adjustable Keyboard, it allows you to change the angle between the two groups of keys by means of a hinge.

    A further development of the split keyboard is the angled split keyboard such as the maltron keyboard. File:Maltlayout.jpg

    The keys are located at different heights and towards the inside they get higher making your index finger type higher.

     

  • Snow Wovel

     

    http://www.wovel.com/

    Inventor: Mark Noonan

    Product Website: http://www.wovel.com/

     

    How does it work? 

    This product (a shovel on a wheel) is quite simple to use, but requires practice for some. The first step to take is to push the snow with the product, like pushing a stroller. Then, push the handle down to get rid of the snow wherever you please. The product must be assembled before it can be used.

    ** “A study at the University of Massachusetts found back strain from the Wovel is roughly akin to walking, reducing the risk of lower-back injury from shoveling snow by 85 percent.”

    Disadvantages: More expensive than a shovel, and must be assembled.

    Advantages: Ergonomic, convenient, and three times faster than a shovel.

    For those who live in snowy climates, this product proves very useful: it saves time, and most importantly it significantly reduces the risk of back-injuries, and related heart injuries.

    Sources:  

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/nyregion/21towns.html?ref=ergonomics#

    http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1939342_1939395_1939660,00.html

    http://www.wovel.com/Products/default.aspx

     

     

     

  • Ergopod 500

            This is the Ergopod 500. A ergonomic work station for computers. It has a completely adjustable design for working in standing sitting or reclined position. The Monitor panel can pivot up to 55 degrees and the keyboard panel can pivot up to 90 for use in any position.It can support up to 400lbs of equipment 80lbs of which can be held by the monitor panel. The legs are also height adjustable allowing for most furniture to go underneath the desk. All of these adjustable features are controlled from the keyboard for ease of use.

    This design is ergonomically sound because it allows for use by people of all body types and heights and is made to optimize comfort and relieve stress on the body during extended work on the computer. This can save people from health problems that can be associated with this type of work such as hunches and reduced circulation in the arms and legs. Body tolerances also become less of a problem because if you tire in one position the simple click of a button and you are inclined or reclined to change the places that your body is being stressed.

  • Schukra Adjustable Lumbar Back Support

    Adjustable Lumbar Back Support

    Schukra Adjustable Lumbar Back Support

    This back support is ergonomically friendly for the user as it comes with an adjustment knob that adjusts the degree of the curve. The adjustment knob allows for it to individually support a wide range of users efficiently. The back support is also portable so the user can strap it onto any chair to ensure their back is always well supported. Additionally, in comparison to other back supports on the market, Schukra’s product has a relatively thin profile so doesn’t take up a significant portion of the seatpan.

    In this technological age we find ourselves spending a vast amount of time sitting in front of computers. Spending such a large span of time in an uncomfortable chair, most likely not sitting with correct posture, will soon begin to take a toll on our backs. This back support provides a solution to this problem, providing our backs with sufficient support around the clock with it’s portable feature. The most beneficial of its features is its ergonomic design that provides it with the ability to adjust to the individual user and support their back perfectly, ensuring an all around better support.

    File:Illu vertebral column.jpg

    The back support provides support for the lower portion of the vertebrae, know as the lumbar. In the United States, lower-back and lumbar strains are the most common cause of missed work days. This statistic shows an obvious need for better back support for the lower back region whenever possible. Strain on the back from constant bad posture and no back support when spending hours a day on a computer can cause a severe, constant pain in the lower back.  Bad posture specifically adds strain to muscles and puts stress on the spine which can change the anatomical characteristics of the spine over time.

  • Wake-up Light

    Wake up light

    Philips brought out the wake up light around 2008. This light is a new form of alarm clock.

    The light will simulate a sunrise and give the person a pleasant way of waking up, this is because of a natural reaction the user will have towards the sun rise. Nature’s alarm clock is the sun rise and in the past (before technology) people would rely solely on the sun, they go to bed once the sun sets and wake up when it rises. This lamp uses this natural reaction to wake you up very pleasantly.

    The theory behind it is that when the sun rises your body slowly prepares you to wake up by creating fewer hormones which make you sleep (adenosine and melatonin) and will be breaking down the melatonin and adenosine to wake you up again.

    The product was tested in different parts of the world especially where it is dark such as Norway during the winter. After about 6 weeks 98% of the citizens who tested the product wanted to continue. Links 4 and 5 show the results of 60 days as well as after two, four and six weeks.

    The price can range from 109€ to 129€ this is a lot of money but I believe it will make a large difference when used. There are also models where there is an iPod/ iPhone charger dock attached to the light to play your music while using the light.

    1 http://sleep.health.am/sleep/more/what-makes-you-sleep/

    2 http://blog.onlineclock.net/wake-yourself-up-with-light/

    3 http://www.wakeup.philips.com/#/gb_en/the-town/aurora_borealis

    4 http://www.wakeup.philips.com/#/gb_en/the-results

    5 http://www.wakeup.philips.com/#/gb_en/the-people

  • Plastics used to make cars

    Bend New Materials into Futuristic Shapes

    New materials for car bodies may soon transform the auto industry. Auto engineers can mold these carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics into virtually any shape. The materials are both strong and light which increasies fuel efficiency and safety at the same time. Cars built entirely out of plastic could be the wave of the future, making metal a thing of the past when it comes to cars.

    New, innovative cars made almost entirely of plastic are paving the way for what you may be driving in the future.

    A mechanical engineer at Porsche Engineering Services in Troy, Mich., says, “With plastics you can design cars which are very bold, and that gives you an advantage to sell nicer cars.”

    Plastics have gained a lot of ground over traditional metals used in cars, making it possible to build almost an entire vehicle completely of non-metal material.

    Mechanical engineers use a lightweight, high-strength aerospace material called carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. It’s used in the doors, hoods, fenders, chasis and also in support frames for the engine and transmission. You can mold the plastics into very complicated shapes that maybe you can’t do in steel, plastics help cars lose weight to go farther on fuel.

    New materials, like plastic, are usually tested on high-end vehicles first. Once the materials are proven to be more efficient and cost effective, they eventually filter down to affordable consumer vehicles.

    BACKGROUND:

    Student designers at the College for Creative Studies are creating new plastic polymer materials as alternatives for automobile elements typically made of steel. The designs were part of a semester-long project and the automotive division of the Society of Plastics Engineers.

    ADVANTAGES:

    Among other advantages, plastics can significantly reduce the weight of a vehicle, improving fuel efficiency by reducing drag, and also cutting down on emissions. Because plastic can be more easily molded, components can be tailored for more comfortable human-ergonomic features, as well as more streamlined, aerodynamic shapes. Less material can be used than with steel components and the durability of plastics results in a longer, more reliable vehicle lifetime.

    SOURCES:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_fiber-reinforced_polymer

    http://www.azom.com/Details.asp?ArticleID=1662

    http://www.icis.com/Articles/2008/09/08/9153976/plastics-use-in-cars-rises-as-emissions-laws-get-tough.html

    http://news.softpedia.com/news/New-Materials-Boost-Hydrogen-Cars-039-Efficiency-54358.shtml

  • Beretta A391 xtremaA2

    NEW BERETTA A391 XTREMA2
    Designed for the use of Super Magnum 12 ga. 3 ½ in. (89 mm) cartridges, but capable of functioning with lighter cartridges, the new Beretta A391 Xtrema2 gas operated semiautomatic is the ideal shotgun for long distance shooting and the most difficult game.

    MODERN DESIGN, ULTIMATE TECHNOLOGY
    Streamlined Shapes. The skilfully rounded receiver blends perfectly with the stock grip and it permits instinctive, rapid target acquisition. Impeccable balance makes this shotgun easy- and fast to handle. The strongly outlined sides of the receiver confer a distintinctive character to the gun.
    The slim fore-end and the stock boast a new ergonomic design that facilitates the ount of the shotgun. The accurate design of the trigger guard elegantly merges with the receiver.
    The enlarged opening of the trigger guard allows the use of gloves. The top of the receiver is designed to accept (with an optional Weaver base) optics and other aiming systems.

    Stock And Fore-End In Technopolymer.

    The stock and fore-end are produced in durable, resistant, fiberglass reinforced technopolymer that ensures anti-scratch properties and an improved feel in cold weather.Special extended soft plastic inserts are overmolded on the gripping areas of the stock and fore-end to guarantee a secure grip also in adverse weather conditions and to absorb vibrations when shooting.

    EXCLUSIVE AQUA TEK PROTECTION
    Aqua Technology is the name given to the exclusive special surface and protective treatments that are applied to the metal parts of the new Beretta A391 Xtrema2 shotgun.
    The steel barrel is chrome-plated inside to withstand the rigors of steel shot. The external surface of the barrel is first blued and then covered that an exclusive protective coating which remarkably increases its resistance to corrosion. The receiver is made of black anodized aluminum alloy and also boasts the same protective coating. All the internal parts are either nickel or chrome plated, or they are protected by a special process based on a ionic deposition which impregnates the surfaces with ceramic compounds and metals (e.g. Titanium, Chrome) guaranteeing a great resistance to wear and corrosion.

    This unique treatment, grey pearl in color, extends to the breech bolt group, the trigger and the carrier.
    The main internal springs (recoil spring, magazine tube spring, valve spring), the self-compensating valve and the rear drop/cast plate are made of stainless steel. The homogeneous matte black finish, which characterizes all the metal parts in view, boasts anti-glare properties.

    MINIMUM RECOIL, MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE
    Gas Operation System with Exhaust Valve. The unique gas operation system, patented by Beretta, with self-cleaning gas cylinder and piston, is provided with a self cleaning exhaust valve that automatically vents the excess gases of the most powerful cartridges.The result is that the shotgun, without any adjustment, fires everything from the weakest 28g (1 ounce, 3 ¾ dram equivalent) game load to the heaviest 64g (2 ¼ ounce) Super Magnum cartridge. The exhaust valve remains attached to the barrel, ensuring easy and quick assembly and disassembly of the shotgun.

    New Kick Off® Recoil Absorber
    The new Beretta patented Kick Off system  has been conceived to further reduce felt recoil when shooting. Thanks to the Kick Off device, the recoil energy is gradually dissipated by two hydraulic absorbers  inserted into the stock. The result is superior comfort for the shooter. At the same time, the vibrations and the muzzle jump when shooting are strongly reduced.

    Recoil Reduction System. A spring-mass recoil-reduction system, located inside the stock, counteracts the rearward forces generated by shooting and greatly reduces felt recoil.
    Bolt Travel Recoil Absorber. Manufactured from an advanced elastomer, it reduces the vibrations transmitted to the shooter and contributes to the shotgun’s reliability and durability.

    Adjustable Length of Pull. Thanks to the two stock spacers (one assembled) the length of pull of the Xtrema2 Standard model can be adjusted to all shooters.

    Gel•Tek Recoil Pad. It reduces felt recoil and vibrations transmitted to the shooter and is interchangeable with extreme ease.

    Rotating Bolt. The rotating bolt with two locking lugs guarantees maximum safety and reliability even with the heaviest cartridges. The operating rods are integral to the bolt body, ensuring that it is guided symmetrically and with minimal friction. The disassembly and reassembly of this unit is also simplified.

    Optima-Bore Barrel.
    The Optima-Bore internal barrel profile features an overbored diameter and lengthened forcing cone that considerably improve shot pattern distribution and felt recoil reduction.

    Optimachoke Plus Choke Tubes.
    The Beretta Optimachoke ,Plus tubes feature a long, gradual constriction, internal profile formed to minimize shot deformation and to enhance the concentration and distribution of shot patterns. Engineered to resist steel shot stress and corrosion.

    RICH ACCESSORIES

    The Beretta A391 Xtrema2 shotgun is supplied with a modern design case and a complement of accessories: additional set of stock drop/cast plates, 25 ml. Beretta Gun Oil, set of Optimachoke Plus choke tubes with spanner, stock spacer with assembly screws , front and rear sling swivels.

    Stock Drop and Cast Spacers. They allow the stock drop and cast to be adjusted by simply
    modifying their assembly position.

    Quick Detachable Sling Swivels. Thanks to an exclusive quick-release system it is possible to fasten
    and remove the rear swivel from the stock without any tools.

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beretta_Xtrema_2
    2. http://www.berettausa.com/products/a391-xtrema2/default.aspx
    3. http://www.e-gun.net/more.asp?gid=20484&gun=shotgun