The relationship between man and machine has been in evolution thousands of years. Because "necessity is the mother of invention," mankind has tailored his tools to fit him more comfortably over time in order to minimize exposure to injury, and to help him on his quest to "work smarter, not harder."
Every tool or instrument that we use for work or leisure, whether it be for manufacturing, sport, word processing, gardening or cooking-and everything in between-has been refined to one level or another in order to "fit" us better; to more comfortably accommodate our physical needs.
An entire science has been developed to study "repetitive motion" injuries, and to attempt to minimize the effects that result from them. A repetitive motion injury is just that: duplicating the same motion again and again to the point where extreme physical discomfort or injury occurs. These "wear and tear" injuries affect tendons, muscles, joints, and bones, and are a major cause of disability claims in the workforce.
In order to "soften the blow," tools, machines, and instruments have been designed in such a way that they are a more natural fit for whichever area of the human body is applied to whichever task is being performed. The intention is to minimize the physical stress when repetitive movements or certain body angles are required.
For the construction worker, no need to perform the hammering motion a thousand times per day when you have a nail gun available to you. For the office worker, keyboards have recently been produced which contour to the human form, thus offering a more comfortable and natural position from which to type.
Another important and easily-overlooked development in repetitive motion and physical stress minimization is in the area of knobs and handles. Knob manufacturers, handle manufacturers, and the makers of anything we pull, push, twist, wind, or slide must be out in front of any technology which promotes or advances physical comfort within human/machine interaction.
During the course of our daily lives, whether at work or home, we really don't give much thought to how many times a day we reach for equipment knobs or machine handles. If you work in a machine shop assembly line, how many fixtures do you tighten and valve controls do you adjust every day? How many times did you wrestle with gear handles to the point where your hand or wrist started to ache?
This may not be an issue for everyone, but many have been adversely affected-and have missed long periods of work-due to repetitive motion injuries from twisting or turning knobs or handles every day. Yes, everyday items like knobs and handles are often overlooked; almost an afterthought. But those who work to make industrial knobs and handles more user-friendly may see it a little differently.
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