A keyboard designed to prevent or relieve pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries, is on the drawing board. The secret is typing palms-up part of the time, with the backs of the hands resting on the desk.

To accomplish this, the keyboard has corresponding keys on the bottom and can be raised by folding out three-inch supports. Both sets of keys and their physical and electronic connections are nearly transparent so that one can see which keys are being pressed upwards.

It's guaranteed to give your wrists a rest as you let your fingers do the reaching on the elevated, POIUYT keyboard.
-- FarmerJohn, Nov 06 2002

Much better to have a hand-held thinger that lets your hand rest in a fairly normal curled position and select letters from combinations of finger positions, so learning to type would be more like learning to sign for the deaf or how to play guitar chords. (This must already have been invented, but I have no idea what it's called.) And since you would need right-handed and left-handed versions, people could buy and learn both, so they could switch off as needed. And you could type while standing and walking or lying down, so your wrists would not have to be bent to conform to the position of the chair and keyboard.
-- horripilation, Nov 06 2002


I like this idea, but those of us who struggle, typing one finger at a time style, are gonna get some mighty kinked necks to go along with our carpal tunnel syndrome. +
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 06 2002


From my admittedly limited understanding of ergonomics, I don't see how typing palms-up helps at all.

Isn't Compaq announcing its new tablet PC today?
-- DrCurry, Nov 06 2002


OK, so I flipped my keyboard upside down, supported on books, and tried it (keys in the wrong place of course, just to see what would happen). Maybe I have defective wrists, but this isn't very comfy. Might need a heavier board too, as the typing tended to move everything up and down.
-- rbl, Nov 06 2002


Yeah, this is maybe a little less than halfbaked, but you did a real good job - not a single typo.
-- FarmerJohn, Nov 06 2002


Congrats salachair. You have completely stumped me beyond all hope with that link, which is a true first. I don't have the faintest clue as to what it's about.

If you mounted a flat-type keyboard underneath the desk, up-side-down, you could almost accomplish this with a simple key file editor. Although with the enter key and such there's still reverse asymmetry problems.
-- RayfordSteele, Nov 07 2002


Maybe if the [Farmer]'s keyboard was split in two and the halves mounted under the arms of a chair, the upside down bit would be more comfortable.

With [RS]'s suggestion, it doesn't seem too bad if you cross your wrists. Then the fingers would get to type the same old keys that they know and love. Still not terribly comfortable and still no support for the weight of the hands and arms. I guess you could wear weights on your forearms and work on your biceps while typing.
-- half, Nov 07 2002


AHAHA the soft underbelly! Even winston Churchill had his MWAHAHHAHA moments!
-- Admiral Hackbar, Nov 07 2002


If you devised simple forarm rests, the ergonomics might be livable. Evil sidebar: they could double as shackles to keep the masses of sweatshop programmers chained to their keyboards.
-- RayfordSteele, Nov 07 2002


Wouldn't want to give this to horny male teenagers in office with many attractive women. Get this effect;

ngjugb njghun hkhng gnj nguyjh ng y ngyjk hn jnhgny
-- Zircon, Nov 08 2002



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