The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	IntelAd : intelligent computer workstation adjustment software
Author:	Venezia, David W.
View Online:	njit-etd1994-133 (xii, 121 pages ~ 4.8 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Occupational Safety and Health Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Gage, Howard (Committee chair) Nanthavanij, Suebsak (Committee member) Abdel-Malek, Layek (Committee member)
Date:	1994-01
Keywords:	Carpal tunnel syndrome Human engineering Microcomputer workstations
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Muscular-skeletal disorders are a significant safety concern for professional computer users. Regard for human health, regulatory emphasis, and the inherent cost of the disorders give rise to this point. In an attempt to reduce the risk of injury to computer operators from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, this body of work provides an easy to use tool capable of determining the near optimal workstation orientation for any operator/workstation combination. Using a unique algorithm and compiled anthropometric data, computer software has been specially developed to map individual workstations in the Cartesian coordinate system. This mapping yields a recommended orientation that is compared to the ANSI/HFS-100 Standard to determine its feasibility. The program uses knowledge of the operator's sex and standing height to recommend the heights of the chair, keyboard, and monitor; as well as the horizontal distances between the back of the chair and the keyboard and the back of the chair and the monitor. Field trials confirm that IntelAd is an effective tool which meets its design objectives and offers an orientation that requires only minor adjustments to account for differences between the actual and the modeled computer user.