Ergonomics

What Does Ergonomics Mean?

Ergonomics (which is rooted in Greek, with ergon meaning “work” and nomoi meaning “natural processes”) refers to the optimization of physical hardware to benefit the health of the user. It is a science that is applied to technology in everything from the shape of a mouse to the order of keys in a keyboard.

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Techopedia Explains Ergonomics

The science of ergonomics is constantly evolving, as new information is gradually discovered about human health and how it relates to human tools and workspaces. Factors that comprise ergonomics include environmental context, long-term and short-term health benefits and hazards, and the balance of product functionality with human comfort and dexterity.

Perhaps one of the greatest ergonomic developments in recent technology has been the mobile revolution that was accelerated by the smartphone and subsequent mobile devices. This innovation has allowed people to access and interact with the internet without the constraints of the old personal computing environment configuration. Now, people have many more options in terms of how to engage with technology, making the focus on health and comfort much easier.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…