Effects of a Multitouch Keyboard on Wrist Posture, Typing Performance and Comfort

This study compares the use of a conventional keyboard (CK) and a prototype ultra-low profile MultiTouch keyless keyboard (MTK) that only requires contact force to register a keystroke and allows mousing and gestural input on the same surface. Twelve subjects completed eight randomly assigned 7.5- minute typing tasks of text passages of similar difficulty and identical length for each keyboard condition. Typing speed, accuracy, wrist postures and user comfort were measured. Subjects, typed slower (F 1,11 = 41.86, p=0.000) and less accurately (F 1,11 = 23.55, p=0.001) on the MTK during the typing tasks. Mean wrist extension was lower for the MTK (F 1,11 = 10.205, p=0.000) while radial and ulnar deviation did not differ significantly between the two keyboards. Subjects preferred the CK and reported a higher level of ease (F 1,11 = 49.732, p=0.00) and enjoyment (F 1,11 = 51.129, p=0.00) during its use. In terms of comfort, subjects reported a higher level of ease and enjoyment in the CK condition. Familiarity and fatigue effects affected the results.