typing on a tablet linked to chronic shoulder problems - touch screen keyboard

Using touch-
Long-time on-screen keyboards on tablets can lead to chronic shoulder problems, and applied ergonomics studies published in November suggest comparing the skeletal effects of the three keyboards, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This small study found that touch screens or virtual keyboards require less typing power and fingers because they lack a feedback mechanism that indicates that keys are pressed
Muscle activity than traditional keyboards.
But tablet users must keep their fingers hovering over the keyboard to avoid accidentally activating the keys.
This study suggests that this may result in a long static load on the shoulders, a muscle drain due to immobility.
Researchers at the University of Northern Illinois in dikalb.
Recruited 19 experienced virtualkeyboard users—
10 men and 9 women in the middle of them20s.
In five months, the subjects typed in the green fairy tale.
Minute typing test on touch
Screen, desktop and laptop keyboard.
The test was performed twice on each keyboard, while the electrodes recorded muscle activity in the forearm and shoulder.
A force platform under the keyboard measures the Click force.
Compared to 25 words on the touch screen, the average typing speed on the desktop and laptop keyboards is 63 words per minute.
The accuracy of the traditional keyboard is also higher.
While while the subjects had the lowest muscle activity in the forearm when typing on the virtual keyboard, the muscle activity in the upper back oblique muscle was higher and the oblique muscle supported the shoulders and arms.
The researchers said this could be due to the floating hands and forearm while typing.
They say the difference in the activity of the oblique muscles is small, but it may be important if they accumulate over time.
Warning: The researchers say that the virtual keyboard screen shakes slightly during typing, which can lead to underestimation of typing power and key duration.
The research was partly funded by HP. Packard Co.
Title: Differences in typing power, muscle activity, comfort and typing performance between virtual keyboards, laptops and desktop keyboards.
Click on the Wall Street Journal for more information.