Despite advancements in computer technology, computer comfort has often been placed on the backburner. Carpal tunnel, sore thumbs, and other tech-related aches and pains are not problems without solutions, however.
“There’s a growing part of the population who spends their working day clicking,” said inventor and owner of Jacob-Innovations, Emil Jacobs.
Jacobs has focused his creative energy into making the world’s interaction with technology more pleasant. Among his creations include the comfortable and unusual Flex Seats, which are being looked at for commercial airlines and include space for beds in coach. He also created the immensely popular PADandCLICK gel pad mouse accessories.
Computer ergonomics is one of his current focuses.
“I have a compulsion for ideas or to solve problems,” Jacobs said. “So it just gives me a lot of satisfaction to see a problem and find a simple solution for it.”
“The major problem, we should say, with computer ergonomics is that we’re making moves that are extremely repetitive,” he said. “In the natural world, or in a natural way of life, we wouldn’t be stuck with our fingers on keyboards all day.”
Aside from expensive specialty products, some of the only tools to make computer use more comfortable are mouse pads with gel rests for the wrists, and for those a bit more daring, gel sausage-shaped cushions for use with keyboards.
Jacobs is taking a different approach. After the success of his PADandCLICK gel pads which stick to the buttons on a mouse, he is currently working on a fully redesigned keyboard, new concepts for smartphone button placement, and a computer mouse with built-in ergonomic gel cushions and thumb-clicking action.
