Research Studies

An intensive five-month study conducted by Atlas Ergonomics found that 96% of the participants preferred to use the Kinesis Freestyle keyboard over their initial keyboard, and 84% of those users preferred to completely split the Freestyle farther apart than the market’s best selling split design.

From May through November 2009, Atlas Ergonomics reviewed the impact of the Freestyle keyboard’s unique split design on posture, comfort, and performance among approximately 80 software manufacturing employees. The study focused on the positions of the hands and upper extremities during keyboard use.

Participants were provided with the Freestyle keyboard and VIP accessory that could be set in many different positions, from simply angled to widely apart, to suit each individual’s size, shape, habits and workstation. Data on posture and upper-body discomfort were gathered prior to use of the new keyboards, and employees were tracked for up to five months after the new keyboards were introduced.

With no decrease in performance or productivity, participants adopted a variety of positions, consistently discovering set-ups that significantly improved their posture (54 to 71% reduction in ulnar deviation) and reducing neck/upper extremity discomfort by as much as 79%.

Please click on the following link to download copy of the white paper providing a complete overview of this study:

Freestyle Keyboard White Paper

Global Ergonomic Technologies, Inc (GET) Study: Ergonomic Test of the Kinesis Contoured Keyboard

A study was conducted of postures, muscle activity, keying performance and preferences of subjects keying on a standard (traditional type) keyboard and the Kinesis keyboard.The main purpose of the study was to determine if the design of the Kinesis keyboard resulted in reduced muscle load, improved performance, and was preferred to a traditional keyboard.

Twenty five subjects participated in the test. Each subject was required to key text and random letters for six 20-minute sessions on each of the two (traditional and Kinesis) keyboards. Subjects were given seven hours of keying practice on the Kinesis keyboard the day before the test.

Throughout the test, measures were taken of hand angles, electrical muscle potential, keying (speed and accuracy), and comparative ratings of each keyboard.

Postural analysis showed hand deviation and extension were substantially less on the Kinesis keyboard than on the traditional keyboard.

Analysis of muscle load revealed substantially less load on muscles controlling hand deviation, extension, and pronation on the Kinesis keyboard. Subjects exhibited virtually the same muscle load for elbow adbuction for both keyboards by the end of each test.

Analysis of subjects' performance showed a statistically significant increase in throughput for test entry when subjects used the traditional keyboard, but no significant difference in error frequency between the two keyboards.

Subjects indicated substantial preference for the Kinesis in areas of comfort, fatigue, and usability. They preferred the Kinesis by almost two to one as an overall choice.

Contoured Keyboard Study