Micro motion study of Japanese language entry keyboard

In evaluating the ergonomic Japanese Language Entry Keyboards, it is necessary to optimize the multi variable parameters (efficiency and workload) of the keyboards which improves human-computer systems, so it costs much time and care. This research has determined each learning curve of various types of entry keyboards i.e. JIS keyboard, new type JIS keyboard, and M type keyboard, for the sake of estimating the efficiency of each, effectively. Three subjects for each type of keyboard were selected from among the sixty students of the school of nursing in a junior college. They had no experience of operating any entry keyboards, and their average body dimensions are 5 percentile, 50 percentile or 95 percentile. The experiments which determine 90 hours learning curve of each keyboard were carried out. As a result, the Romaji entry operation with JIS keyboard gets comparatively speedy in earlier stage of learning. But, the rate of practicing was 30%, and lower than that of an English typewriter. This must be a handicap when used for long terms. A New type JIS keyboard gives almost equal entry speed to the Sholes keyboard which is used in English writing. The initial entry speed of M type keyboard varies widely, but this type gets more speedy than Sholes keyboard sooner or later.