Talking to your terminal in a
Cadillac-like power chair

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Ergonomics is not a cocktail party word any more. It's serious business.

Massive outbreaks of RSI (repetitive strain injury) and lawsuits against Atex and System Integrators for their keyboard designs of the early '80s have forced newspapers to embrace ergonomics.

NEXPO '94 provided a good sampling of suppliers who deal in products that claim to alleviate some of the problems associated with typing in front of a computer screen all day. And if you can't type anymore, there's speech recognition, which seems to have come of age (if you have an Atex or SII system).

Let's assume the worst: An attack of crippling RSI has left A. Worker unable to type. (Or maybe things are not so bad: Poor A. Worker can type only for a doctor-specified number of hours a day.) With Abdex SpeechDirect, Mr. or Ms. Worker can control an Atex or SII terminal just by speaking.

In demos two years ago (see The Cole Papers, August 1992), the system from Brookline, N.H.-based Abdex was not being demoed on an SII terminal, but ran decently on a '386-based PC alongside an Atex terminal. Now, the processor of the PC running the software (essentially DragonDictate) has improved to a '486 (no Pentiums or PowerPCs, yet), and the SII interface has been perfected.

The demo involved calling the Detroit News, where the kindly systems office had set up a remote user for Abdex. The entire process of signing on, manipulating various directories, calling up a blank story form, dictating and saving a story, was all accomplished in a smooth fashion with high accuracy. No fingers touched the keyboard of the now-discontinued brown Coyote terminal.

Equally impressive was another phase of the demo, where voice input was alternated with keyboard input on the Coyote in a seamless fashion. (An Atex terminal was also put through the paces, but the demo was not much different from '92; following NEXPO, Atex announced it would sell SpeechDirect to the Atex customer base.)

Depending upon the size of the hard drive, four or more voice profiles can be stored in the PC running the SpeechDirect software, so one station can have multiple users.

Speed is a consideration. It does take precise enunciation to minimize misinterpretation of words, a factor that will decrease as A. Worker builds a library of common phrases. The vocal procedure to differentiate between computer commands and dictation also requires a slight bit of training and practice.

But how many reporters can type better than 50 words per minute? Getting 40 to 50 words per minute out of SpeechDirect is pretty much the norm. (Actual statistics are kept by the PC running the program, and your mileage will differ.)

This product offers real hope for continuing a career to those afflicted with RSI; it also could be a boon to people with just plain lousy typing skills.

All the great technology for newsrooms in the '90s is useless without ergonomically sound work areas and chairs. Great strides have been made in both areas.

If it's chairs, Girsberger has 'em, and NEXPOnents didn't have to go to the home office in Smithfield, N.C., to give 'em a test drive.

Girsberger chairs can be adjusted as many ways as a power seat in a Cadillac. They also have a lower back support that follows you when you move forward or back in the seat. As a back support aficionado myself, this was most impressive.

Equally impressive was the wide range of solutions for the entire office from Applied Ergonomics of Princeton, N.J. According to AE's catalog, "No two VDT users work in exactly the same manner; as a result, no one product application is appropriate for every user." That sums up why this company has so much to offer.

From a primary solution -- a work surface that can be adjusted, by hand crank or electrically, to the broadest possible range of heights -- to much more expensive coordinated whole-office remakes, this company has the hardware that would comply now with any conceivable Osha-type regulations.

The genius of the basic unit is its adjustable leg unit, which is cranked up or down to fit the smallest or biggest user (there's an electric motor option). A work surface of almost any size can be placed between these adjustable legs.

Accessories to make the ergonomic work area complete include a wide range of wrist, keyboard and foot rests, monitor arms and privacy panels.

A comfortable journalist should be happier, less querulous and more productive; an environment that's easily configurable with ergonomic seating could go a long way to assure it.

-- George Powell

From THE COLE PAPERS, September 1994, Copyright (c) 1994, All Rights Reserved.