DXT Ergonomic Precision Mouse Background & Design Objectives
Video transcription
Hi, my name is Stephen Bowden and am one of the designers of the DXT Ergonomic Mouse. This short presentation discusses the design and science behind the Mouse and why it allows for comfort and accuracy.
The following are the Design objectives of the DXT mouse.
- To enable natural finger, hand, arm and shoulder movement patterns.
- To utilise the precision grip of the of the hand to improve accuracy of the cursor
- To adopt the position function or rest
- To enable right and left hand use
- Reduce or eliminate pinch grip while lifting the mouse
- Reduce the overall footprint of the mouse
The first design objective was to avoid unnatural movements of the Hand, arm and shoulder. You can see from the pictures of the mice at the bottom of the screen that the entire hand is filled which reduces the ability of the hand to move freely and forces other joints such as the shoulder to move the mouse or cursor on screen.
By eliminating or restricting movements of the fingers and hand you are forced to use the elbow and shoulder to move the mouse. This does not make sense, as the shoulder and neck are the most common areas of discomfort within office workers.
You can see the DXT Mouse at the top of the page has room for the hand to operate and move the cursor.
We will come to understand why the shoulder is not ideal for moving your mouse in a moment.
The second objective was to utlise the precision grip.
You can see in the image on the left of the screen the picture of the finger and thumb in opposition. This opposition has been designed or evolved depending on your view to allow for precision. The DXT Mouse takes advantage of this amazing design which is why the DXT is so accurate. We get great feedback from people who needs precision such as CAD and graphic designers.
Other large ergonomic mice reduce the ability of this opposition of finger and thumb thus reducing accuracy.
The strange looking man is called a homunculus.
This is how we would look if we grew in proportion to the number of brain cells that control movements of different parts of our body.
As you can see the hand compared to the shoulder has many many more brain cells which allow you to complete accurate cursor movements.
If you fix the hand and move the control to the shoulder you will decrease your accuracy and potentially cause discomfort by overloading the shoulder and neck. The shoulder is designed for large movements of the arm not precise movements of a mouse cursor.
The third objective was to use the position function.
Many mouse designers position the hand in the ‘position of function’ but make the mistake of fixing the hand in this position. Fixing the hand will stop you completing accurate cursor movements. In the position of function seen on screen the hand is ready to move and manipulate objects like a computer mouse.
The DXT allows the hand to adopt the position of function/rest while allowing room for movement.
This position of function also reduces the hand flat on desk (or pronation) which has been shown to cause discomfort.
The fourth objective was to allow for left and right hand use.
The DXT design allows you to use both hands. This is great if you have a current injury as its allows you to spread the load through both limbs by using the other hand
The fifth objective was to reduce or eliminate pinch grip.
The DXT Mouse reduces the force required to click the mouse by utilising soft click buttons and allowing the user to pick the mouse up to reposition the cursor without the need to pinch the mouse.
The DXT has a ledge above the thumb which reduces the need to pinch. Lifting the mouse is very very important if precision is important to you.
The last objective was to reduce the overall footprint of the mouse.
Large ergonomic mice increase the need for you to reach for the mouse which can aggravate shoulder and neck problems. The DXT Mouse’s small footprint allows you to keep the mouse close to or in front of the keyboard .
If your looking for a ergonomic mouse that will allow for accuracy and comfort you should consider the DXT Ergonomic Precision Mouse.
You can find out more information at www.dxtmouse.com