Maltron keyboard
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The Maltron keyboard is an ergonomically designed computer keyboard that was invented by Lilian Malt (thus the name) and Stephen Hobday in the 1970s.[1] It is designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries. Maltron keyboards are electrically compatible with IBM PC keyboards and Apple Macintosh keyboards, using either USB or PS/2 connectors.
The changes in computer keyboard design invented by Lilian Malt incorporate two things:
- a curved surface (as opposed to the normal flat surface) for the keyboard, aimed at reducing finger travel by 90%
- a Maltron keyboard layout, which Malt designed based upon her analysis of the neuromuscular system
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[edit] History
Lillian Malt ran a secretarial training business from 1955. Based upon her experience of typing errors, she conceived the idea of a typewriter keyboard designed with the keys arranged to fit different finger lengths, but found no manufacturer who was willing to work with her. In 1974, Stephen Hobday came to her with a one-handed keyboard that he had designed for handicapped people. She made several suggestions for improvement, telling Hobday of her failure to engage the interest of any manufacturers in actually building her ideal keyboard. Hobday told her "You tell me what you want and I'll tell you whether I can build it or not.". From the resulting collaboration, with Malt's expertise in keyboard design and Hobday's expertise in electronics, came the first Maltron keyboard.[1]
Stanley notes that Malt was almost erased from history in the 1970s, with the only one of two 1979 articles in The Inventor (the journal of the British Institute of Patentees and Inventors) that even mentions the names of the keyboard's inventors at all, crediting it solely to Hobday.[1]
[edit] Models
There are several models of Maltron keyboard.
[edit] 3D
The Maltron 3D keyboard is curved, with separate recesses for each hand. It is divided into five major blocks of keys:
- 2 blocks for the fingers of each hand
- 2 blocks for the thumbs of each hand
- 1 central block
[edit] Single-handed
The Maltron Single-handed keyboard is curved, with a single recess. It comes in left-handed and right-handed versions and is divided into four major blocks of keys:
- 1 block for the fingers
- 1 block for the thumb
- 1 flat panel of keys to the side
- 1 row of function keys along the top
The keyboard has "push-on push-off" functions for the shift, control, and alt keys. The blocks for the fingers and thumb are mirror images of one another in the left-handed and right-handed versions (whereas the flat block and function key row are identical in both).
[edit] Mouth Stick or Single-finger
The Maltron Mouth Stick keyboard comprises a simple curved rectangle of keys. Like the single-handed keyboard it has "push-on push-off" functions for the shift, control, and alt keys. This layout is optimized for people with limited dexterity or those who require a mouth stick or similar device to type.
[edit] Executive
The Maltron Executive keyboard is flat, and was designed by Maltron to be a halfway house between a conventional flat keyboard and a 3D keyboard. It comprises six major blocks of keys:
- 2 blocks for the fingers of each hand
- 2 blocks for the thumbs of each hand
- 1 central numeric keypad (in the conventional IBM PC keyboard layout)
- 1 row of function keys along the top
[edit] Layouts
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Maltron 3D and Executive keyboards are produced with three different layouts:
- QWERTY layout
- Simplified Dvorak layout
- Maltron layout
In the Maltron layout, the home row of keys are "ANISF" for the left hand and "DTHOR" for the right hand. This home row can be used to type many more complete words than that found on a Qwerty keyboard.
The Maltron layout has been derived from frequency of use (FoU) statistics, plus additional considerations, such as the most frequent two- and three-letter combinations found in words. As much as possible, such combinations need to be placed as non-blocking sequences.
Whilst the letter E is normally regarded as the most common letter in the English language, one should not ignore the Space character, as it is nearly twice as frequent; additionally, in punctuation, the comma and full-stop are more frequent than the letters KVJZXQ.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Stanley, Autumn (1995). Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology. Rutgers University Press, 369. ISBN 0813521971.
- ^ English Prose FoU. PCD Maltron.
[edit] Further reading
- (2003-05-06) "Keyboard Letter Layouts". IEE London Branch - Kingston.
- (1994-05-04) "COMPUTER RELATED UPPER LIMB DISORDER: A Keyboard to Eliminate the Stress & the Pain - An Interim Success Report". 19th Annual Congress of IMART, The Royal Society of Medicine.
- (1988-06-08) "A keyboard to increase productivity and reduce postural stress". The Annual International Industrial Ergonomics and Safety Conference.
- (1985-09-02) "Keyboards designed to fit hands & reduce postural stress". The Ninth Congress Of The International Ergonomics Associations: 457.
- Hobday, S.W (1996-04-03). "The Maltron keyboards" (abstract). IEE Colloquium on Interfaces - The Leading Edge (Digest No.1996/126): 10.
- Mircea Fagarasanu and Shrawan Kumar. "Write Posture in Office Work", in William S. Marras and Waldemar Karwowski: The occupational ergonomics handbook. CRC Press. ISBN 0849319374. — results of several scientific tests of the Maltron E-type keyboard
[edit] External links
- PCD Maltron web site, including:
- Ergo-Comp Systems Frequently Asked Questions — detailed explanations of the curved keyboard shape and the Maltron layout
- Maltron Keyboard Layout — Karl Fogel's diagram of the Maltron layout
- Maltron Keyboard — the 2002-12-03 review by PC Magazine
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