An investigation of the effects of touchpad location within a notebook computer

Kelaher, Dan; Nay, Todd; Lawrence, Brad M.; Lamar, Sabrina; Sommerich, Carolyn M.

doi:10.1016/s0003-6870(00)00020-x

Cited by 26 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The subjective discomfort was assessed via fuzzy logic questions (Jianghong & Long, ; Kelaher et al., ) completed by all of the subjects at the end of each task.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If the touchpad and buttons in a laptop PC are located in the bottom‐right of the keyboard, the wrist abduction decreases compared to when they are in the bottom‐center position (Kelaher, Nay, Lawrence, Lamar, & Sommerich, ). Though this previous study found the influence of the touchpad placement on the kinematics acting on the wrist, it did not reveal the effect of its location on the physiological values, including muscle activity and fatigue.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Placement of a touchpad and click‐buttons to relieve arm fatigue and discomfort in a laptop PC

Han

Kim

2016

Hum Ftrs & Erg Mfg Svc

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We investigated the muscle fatigue and degree of discomfort for seven combinations of positions in a touchpad and two click‐buttons (one hand: center, midright, and right in position of touchpad and buttons; two hands: all centered, centered touchpad and left buttons, right touchpad and centered buttons, and right touchpad and left buttons) while using a laptop PC. Sixteen subjects participated in tasks involving the operation of a touchpad and two click‐buttons. The muscle fatigue was evaluated by applying median frequency electromyography (EMG) for 5 minutes to the subjects while they were performing each task, and the overall degree of discomfort was measured by fuzzy logic questions after the completion of each condition. When using only one hand, the right position resulted in the lowest muscle fatigue and degree of discomfort in comparison with the other conditions (p < .05). When using two hands, the right placement of the touchpad and the left one of the buttons showed the lowest results in both the muscle fatigue and degree of discomfort (p < .05). On the other hand, the traditional centered locations in the case of both one hand and two hands were the most disadvantageous for the shoulder and wrist. The results indicate that the traditional location of the touchpad and click‐buttons in the center induced abduction in both the shoulder and the wrist, which was expressed as an increase in muscle fatigue and overall discomfort. Therefore, developing a configuration in which it is possible to adjust the positions of the touchpad and buttons based on the user's preference is required.

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“…The subjective discomfort was assessed via fuzzy logic questions (Jianghong & Long, ; Kelaher et al., ) completed by all of the subjects at the end of each task.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Placement of a touchpad and click‐buttons to relieve arm fatigue and discomfort in a laptop PC

Han

Kim

2016

Hum Ftrs & Erg Mfg Svc

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“…Kelaher et al [20] conducted a unique study on the effects of touchpad location on a laptop computer. The study explored the effect of the location of the touchpad (top center, top right, right side, bottom center, and bottom right) on extremity posture, discomfort, preference, and performance.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A better place for the touchpad may be below the right side of the keyboard for right-handed people, or below the left side of the keyboard for lefthanded people. In fact, in a study done on the effects of the touchpad location of a laptop computer, experimental results showed that the current touchpad position is not optimal in any respect [20]. A long touchpad that covers the entire area below the keyboard would give the hands of laptop users more freedom.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

LongPad

Heo

Han

et al. 2013

Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

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In this paper, we explore the possibility of a long touchpad that utilizes the entire area below the keyboard of a laptop computer. An essential prerequisite for such a touchpad is a robust palm rejection method, which we satisfy using a proximity-sensing touchpad. We developed LongPad, a proximity-sensing optical touchpad that is as wide as a laptop keyboard, and implemented a palm rejection algorithm that utilizes proximity images from LongPad. In a user study conducted, we observed that LongPad rejected palm touches almost perfectly while participants were repeating typing and pointing tasks. We also summarize the new design space enabled by LongPad and demonstrate a few of the interaction techniques it facilitates.

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“…Therefore, if laptop use is associated with increased neck and shoulder flexion, the replacement of desktop computers with laptops may lead to an increased incidence of pain and pathology in computer users. Additional laptop computer features that raise concerns include other keyboard design characteristics (reduced key size and/or spacing, increased thickness), permanent attachment of keyboard and display, and pointing device design (lack of alternative integrated devices and device locations [17]). Each of these features can be cause for concern, because of their potential to increase biomechanical strain in the user and hinder performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%