Preliminary results on the assessment of temperature distribution on hands after typing on ergonomic and non-ergonomic postures

Abstract

The objective of this work was to assess temperature distribution on hands after typing on ergonomic and non-ergonomic postures, using infrared camera. Three volunteers performed four activities: control, ergonomic typing (10-min typing in an ergonomic posture), non-ergonomic typing 1 (wrist extension) and non-ergonomic typing 2 (wrist flexion). There was no significant trend seen in temperature between the different days as they fluctuate across all the different subjects. There was an increase in temperature in the difference between metacarpophalangeal and finger extremities and the dorsal temperature and finger extremities after typing. There was a slight increase in temperature because small muscles were used as the typing task required a minimal amount of work intensity, therefore less heat was produced. The temperature increase could also be due to increased blood flow to the working muscles, suggesting the elevated temperature is secondary to increased blood flow.