Best Uses for the BAT Keyboard
The BAT Personal Keyboard has applicability
in any computing environment, especially those using
the keyboard with a mouse or other input device. The
keyboard is the perfect solution for computer aided
drafting, desktop publishing, graphics design and other
uses such as accounting, telemarketing, or customer
service. It is excellent in applications requiring only
one hand. The current trend in ergonomic keyboards (splitting
and separating the QWERTY keyboard) makes the BAT keyboard
even more compelling for single-handed use.
It is light weight and compact, takes little desk space
and can easily be transported. Take the BAT keyboard
with you as your personal keyboard. Use it with your
laptop as a remote keyboard. It is convenient and flexible.
Use the BAT keyboard in any comfortable typing position,
including the arm of your chair or your lap. Use it
alone, in pairs, and with other input devices, such
as a traditional keyboard, a mouse or a design tablet.
The BAT Personal Keyboard was developed over ten years
of research by an internationally renowned human factors
expert. Both the chord set and the physical design of
keyboard are the results of that research. Each BAT
keyboard is capable of entering all characters and functions
of a traditional keyboard (plus many more) with only
seven keys! Data is entered by "chording":
pressing a key or combination of keys simultaneously.
Chords are easy to learn in about an hour. Moderate
proficiency is gained in less than 10 hours, much less
than with traditional keyboards. Most people achieve
30-50 wpm. Actual learning performance varies with individuals.
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Using the BAT Keyboard for CAD
The BAT Personal Keyboard, developed
by Infogrip, Inc., has gained a large following of devoted
fans in the world of Computer Aided Drafting. This revolutionary
ergonomic keyboard allows full keyboard entry with one
hand while the other is using a pointing device; greatly
reducing hand and finger movement as well as permitting
the user to keep their eyes focused on the monitor.
The BAT Keyboard compresses all the functions of a traditional
keyboard into a seven-key unit the size of a hand. With
one key for each finger and three color-coded keys for
the thumb, users press key combinations, "chords"
to type on the BAT.
CAD users typically have very little desk top space,
forcing them to crowd multiple items into a small area.
The BAT Keyboard’s innovative compact design (only one-third
the size of a standard keyboard) frees up valuable work
space. Additionally, the BAT eliminates both the need
to look away from the screen and the travel needed when
moving from a mouse or digitizer to a traditional keyboard,
thus enhancing the users productivity. While also reducing
hand and arm movement providing a more healthy ergonomic
work environment.
Joe Kovalski of Accurate Design in Ventura, California
uses the BAT Keyboard for CAD applications and finds
it indispensable. "I keep one hand on the mouse
and one hand on the BAT (Keyboard), I’ve memorized the
keystrokes for the commands I use a lot, and it’s a
lot faster than looking for those letters on a traditional
keyboard."
David Satchell a plant engineer with a computer manufacturing
company in Austin, Texas quickly took to the BAT and
loves it. "I thought it would be difficult to learn,
but I found it to be easier than learning to use a regular
keyboard. All your fingers stay in the same place."
Satchell said he had "always been uncomfortable
at a regular keyboard," and finds that using the
BAT Keyboard in conjunction with a mouse helps him work
faster in Auto-CAD.
The BAT Keyboard is available for both PC compatible
and Macintosh computers as well as having an option
of left- or right-hand. (The left-hand model is the
most popular.) The PC compatible is a "plug and
play" keyboard, no driver is required. The Macintosh
model plugs into the ADB port and comes with a software
driver.
Other features include:
-
Flexibility. Can be used alone,
in pairs, with a traditional keyboard and/or with
a mouse, digitizer or other pointing device.
-
Ergonomic design. Reduces strain
and fatigue commonly associated with prolonged use
of traditional keyboards and keyboard/input device
travel.
-
Both PC and Macintosh models can
be daisy-chained with another BAT Keyboard and/or
a traditional keyboard. All can be used simultaneously.
-
Portability. Just 16 ounces and
the size of a hand. The PC model comes with a lithium
battery allowing the user to download macros to
the BAT giving them the power of customized macros
where ever they go.
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An Alternative Keyboard for Artists
Not all works of art begin with the
stroke of a brush. While walking through such places
as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Whitney Museum
or the Guggenheim, you may find one artist who paints
to a different beat.
Ron Gorchov, based in New York City, first sketches
his paintings on his computer with the help of the BAT
Personal Keyboard by Infogrip, Inc. before the paint
ever touches the canvas.
The BAT, a one-handed, seven key unit, allows your eyes
to stay focused on the screen rather than on your hands.
Gorchov had used the alternative keyboard for three
of his past exhibitions. "My hand never gets tired
with the BAT because I use it just like I would play
a piano ...I’m not constrained," said Gorchov.
The BAT, which is ergonomically designed, can be placed
in any location which adds comfort and mobility whereas
a traditional keyboard is placed in front of the user.
Although Gorchov’s computer screen is about 20 inches
wide, the BAT can be used to interpret paintings of
vast scales, even 20 feet.
With the help of the BAT, artists like Gorchov and graphic
designers are going beyond the ability of the brush
and bringing the basics right to their keyboard.
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The BAT Keyboard and Disabilities
The BAT Personal Keyboard is a fully
functioning keyboard for one hand. It’s innovative,
compact design is ideal for individuals with physical
or visual impairments. The keyboard’s small size allows
user’s to easily port the BAT from home to work or school
as well as place the keyboard in the most comfortable
position to meet their needs.
An input system called "chording" is used
to type on the BAT. Similar to Braille combinations
of keys are pressed simultaneously. The BAT has seven
keys, four for the fingers and three for the thumb.
The center thumb key is used in combination with the
four finger keys to type "space" and "a"
through "z". The two outer thumb keys are
used for special keys like "Alt", "Shift"
and cursor movement. "Sticky" or "latching"
keys are used to enter multiple key sequences, i.e.
Alt F to open a file.
The BAT is a keyboard, it is not a mouse. However, all
cursor movements can be achieved and with Windows ’95
and System 7 for Macintosh users can turn the keypad
into a mouse. If a pointing device is desired, most
users mount a portable Glidepoint touchpad (available
from Infogrip) just above the thumb keys or place a
trackball or mouse on the low side of the BAT, thereby
minimizing hand movement.
Users can do anything on the BAT keyboard that they
would with an extended keyboard and more.
TYPES OF USERS
Physical Disabilities
- Amputation of a hand or arm
- Congenital absence or malformation of a hand or
arm
- Physical injury or nerve damage to a hand or arm
- Limited range of motion from a physical injury
- Congenital condition
- Head injury resulting in hemiplegia (paralysis
on one side only)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Stroke
- Visually Impaired
- Total Blindness
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
The BAT is an excellent keyboard for
people who have good use of only one hand or limited
range of motion. Users need to have fairly good control
of finger movements on the functional hand; however,
the BAT keyboard is forgiving and key action can easily
be adjusted to meet an individuals needs.
There is conclusive evidence that the lateral movements
required to type on an extended keyboard causes Repetitive
Stress Injuries in two handed users. Typing one handed
on an extended keyboard is not only slow, it can increase
the physical stress put on the hand, wrist and arm.
One handed keyboard layouts only minimally cut down
the distance needed to travel; the user still has to
access 101 individual keys. The key distance the one
hand user has to travel on an extended keyboard is double
or triple what a two hand user has to cover.
The BAT is a third of the size of an extended keyboard.
There is no key distance to travel on the BAT because
all of the keys are under the fingers. The physical
design is superior for one handed users; the keys are
a light tension spring, the keyboard is naturally sloped
and has a built in hand rest to encourage proper hand
placement and is so small and light weight that it can
be placed in the most comfortable and healthy position
for the user.
VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS
Individuals with visual impairments
often have difficulty learning and using an extended
keyboard. Locating the keys is frustrating and time
consuming especially with a mouse or other input device
added to the equation. Physical stress on the back,
neck and eyes can also result from individuals with
severe visual impairments hunching over the keyboard
and back again to the monitor to visually confirm where
their fingers are and what they are doing.
All the keys are right under the users hand with the
BAT. Location is not an issue. The user can quickly
and easily locate the home row. This eliminates any
need to look at the keyboard and allows the user to
stay focused on the monitor as well as easily use a
mouse with the free hand.
TOTAL BLINDNESS
Like those with visual impairment many
blind individuals encounter problems with correctly
locating their fingers on an extended keyboard. Locating
the home row can be frustrating and time consuming.
Incorrect positioning can result in errors.
Since the BAT keyboard only has seven keys, finger location
is not a problem. The user can easily feel the home
row. This saves time usually spent to properly position
the hands on an extended keyboard and decreases the
number of errors from incorrect location. The BAT keyboard
frees the other hand to access Braille text or a keypad
to navigate a screen reader.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Ability to access the entire extended keyboard
with only one hand
- Very little hand and arm movement required to
type
- Ergonomically designed to position the hand
in the most comfortable position
-
IBM Compatible - Just
plug and play, easily connected through the keyboard
port, no driver required
Macintosh Compatible -
connects through the ADB port and requires a small
software driver (98k) be installed
-
Daisy chainable - Both IBM and
Macintosh compatible versions allow for an extended
keyboard to be plugged directly into the BAT and
used simultaneously allowing other users to access
the computer
-
Compact and light weight - The
small size allows for easy placement in any position;
i.e. desk top, lap, or mounted on a wheel chair
-
Easy to learn - The learning
curve has been shown to be shorter than that of
the QWERTY (extended) keyboard. The chord design
was based on research which considered a frequency
of use character index, the biomechanical action
required to chord, and the cognitive process required
to remember the chord combination.
-
Learning time - Within only a
couple of hours of training users are familiar
with the idea or feeling of what it is like to
chord and have the letters, numbers and basic
punctuation memorized. After only 20 to 30 hours
users are up to speed, typing anywhere from 301
to 50 words per minute.
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The
Ergonomics of Typing
Many people ask about the ergonomics
of typing and if the BAT Personal Keyboard reduces Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome. We can not make any conclusive statements.
But, we have assembled some general information that
may be of interest to our customers.
This article discusses some of the ergonomic considerations
of keyboard design as they relate to long term use.
It describes cumulative trauma disorders (CTD's), repetitive
strain injuries (RSI's) and factors contributing to
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Many factors contribute to CTD's
and the experts do not agree fully on the causes. This
subject is controversial and hotly debated. We will
attempt to stick to commonly accepted principles in
the subject area.
Cumulative trauma disorders (CTD's) can be described
as additive tissue damage accumulating over time. These
are referred to as repetitive strain injuries, overuse
syndrome, regional musculoskeletal disorders, or other
names. Symptoms may surface over time in varying degrees,
from mild discomfort to acute pain. CTD’s occur in situations
where people perform repetitive manual tasks and are
subjected to shock, vibration, and strain. Examples
may include the use of hand tools, loading and unloading
factory machinery, picking and placing operations, and
most recently, operating computer keyboards and mice.
We will focus on keyboards.
Cumulative traumas, as they relate to typing on keyboards,
originate from shocks and strains. It is important to
note that each of these is very small. CTD’s are the
accumulation of these shocks over many hours of typing
per day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year, and so
on. Shock is the vibration or impact that the finger
feels as it pushes a key. Examples include the shock
the finger feels when it first contacts the key, the
shock produced by a tactile feed-back "click"
in the key, and the shock the finger feels when a key
bottoms on its stroke. The shock varies with how hard
an individual types. "Heavy handed" typists
create more shock than individuals with a light touch,
as the key impact and key bottoming is greater.
Strains result from finger exertion and the reaching
and stretching of the fingers. The force of exertion
is determined by the spring rate of the keys. Keys that
have stiffer springs are harder to push, and therefore
create greater finger exertion. The reach and stretch
of the fingers to the various key positions are called
"trajectories". It is believed that trajectories
may contribute to the strain of the tendons of the hand
and the Median nerve.
The carpal tunnel is a canal in the wrist that contains
the median nerve and the hand tendons. Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome is the symptom of pain, numbness, and/or tingling
felt in the wrist, fingers, and arm caused by excessive
repetitive motion of the tendons within the carpal tunnel,
causing irritation, then swelling, then pressure on
the median nerve. To alleviate this condition, considerable
emphasis has been placed by experts on the correct posture
of the forearm, wrist and hand when typing. This includes
work station and keyboard design.
Constrained posture is believed to contribute to RSI.
Work station design plays a key role in reducing the
risk by correcting posture. This includes properly equipping
and adjusting chairs, desk heights, lighting and glare,
and accessories such as document holders and wrist rests
for the individual user. The workstation, when properly
adjusted, should produce a posture where the arms and
hands extend naturally from the torso and are not rotated
(pronation) or turned (ulnar deviation) beyond certain
limits. The traditional keyboard design does not fit
well within these guidelines. It requires the hands
to be placed flat (pronation) and close together. Placing
the hands close together causes the typist to turn the
hands outward (ulnar deviation). A better solution is
a keyboard that allows the hands to be separated at
a comfortable width and with the hands at a more natural
angle with the thumbs elevated.
Summarizing, there are widely argued opinions about
the contributing factors of these disorders, but the
most widely accepted related to keyboard use include:
1. Pronation - the inward rotation
of the forearm and hand from a vertical/thumbs up
orientation.
2. Ulnar Deviation -the turning of
the hand out of horizontal alignment with the forearm
(i.e. the bending of the wrist toward the pinkie).
3. Wrist Support - proper wrist support
is important for two reasons: a) to remove the weight
of the arm from the shoulders; and b) to provide proper
height of the wrist to the key-tops for proper hand
posture.
4. Positioning - the hands should
be comfortably apart to relieve wrist extension and
elbows should be bent at 90° .
5. Frequency of Use - Disorders are
cumulative. The less one uses each finger, the better.
6. Key effort - Light key pressures
cause less strain, impact shock and fatigue over time,
but can contribute to key "bottoming".
7. Tactile click - the tactile click
preferred by most typists is considered a poor choice
in that the click produces small shock waves up the
fingers to the tendons in the hand.
8. Trajectories - the directed reach
the fingers perform to type the upper, lower, left,
and right keys for each finger.
9. Resting Periods - rest periods
and task variety can reduce the risks of CTD’s.
Warm- up and periodic exercises of the neck, shoulders,
wrists and hands are also recommended.
10. Constrained Posture - can be corrected by an adjusted
workstation. ANSI Standard HFS-100 (1988) provides
comprehensive list of recommendations.
The BAT Personal Keyboard addresses
most of these issues. Pronation is improved by the 15°
inclined typing surface. Ulnar deviation is eliminated
by rotating the BAT to a proper angle for typing. The
built-in wrist pad comfortably supports the arm to relax
the shoulders and to provide proper finger posture when
typing. Hand positioning is accomplished by moving the
BAT in or out from the center of your body.
The BAT keyboard uses specially designed springs and
non-tactile keys in the keyboard. This produces a low
impact, light touch for long term use. The BAT keyboard
only has seven keys and uses a typing technique called
chording, combinations of keys are pressed simultaneously.
This method minimizes finger and hand movement, reducing
hand, wrist and arm strain.
Resting periods and workstation are the responsibility
of the individual and are not addressable by keyboard
design. Infogrip recommends regular typing breaks, a
properly equipped and adjusted workstation and stretching
exercises before, during, and after typing. (Suggested
exercises are readily available at your local ergonomic
office furniture supplier.) Switching to the BAT Keyboard
may extend comfortable working sessions and reduce the
risk of cumulative trauma disorders.
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Frequently
Asked Questions
Q: HOW DO YOU TYPE ON IT?
A: The BAT Personal Keyboard
is comfortable and easy to use. Your hand rests naturally
on the built-in wrist pad, with the fingers over the
four "home" keys and the thumb over the three
thumb keys. You type using a technique called chording:
pressing combinations of keys simultaneously. All of
the keys of an extended keyboard can be typed on the
BAT keyboard, with only one hand.
Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN?
A: Learning varies with individuals.
Most people learn the alphabet and numbers in about
an hour, but usually not more than two hours. The tutorial,
in the manual we provide, walks you through the alphabet
at your own pace. Once you become familiar with the
chords (chords are the finger combinations used to type),
you can refer to the convenient Reference Guide which
has all the commonly used chords on a single two-sided
sheet. Then, just start typing!
Q: HOW CAN IT BE THAT FAST?
A: The BAT Personal Keyboard
is easy to learn. In touch typing, we are taught to
start with our fingers on the home keys. After some
hours of practice, we are introduced to keys in positions
other than the home keys. Many more hours of practice
are required to memorize the proper finger positions
for each letter. In short, you must learn two levels
of subconscious decision making when typing: which finger
to push and where to put the finger before you push
it. This complexity is avoided with the BAT keyboard.
Since your fingers are always on the home keys, it is
a simple matter of learning which fingers to push to
correctly type the alphabet.
Q: HOW FAST WILL I BE ABLE TO TYPE?
A: Typing speed varies with
individuals. We know touch typists who type over 100
words per minute and some that never achieve more than
35 wpm. Our customers report typing speeds of between
30 to 50 wpm with one hand. Two important points: first,
the BAT is not designed to be a high speed keyboard,
its value is derived from other features. Second, having
been available for a short time, no one yet has spent
the thousands of hours that touch typists have invested
with the traditional "QWERTY" keyboard. Therefore,
although reported typing speeds are satisfactory, especially
with one hand, we have not seen the limits to chord
typing speeds.
Q: WILL I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY TOUCH
TYPING SKILLS?
A: No. It has been shown that
the chord method of typing is a different skill than
touch typing. Fast touch typists are no better off than
hunt and peck typists when learning to type with the
BAT™ Personal Keyboard. If you are an accomplished touch
typist, you don't have to give up your QWERTY keyboard.
Just plug it in to the BAT and use it, too. Some customers
do high speed typing with their QWERTY, then use the
BAT for document editing.
Q: WHICH MACINTOSH COMPUTERS ARE
COMPATIBLE WITH THE BAT?
A: The Macintosh model is compatible
with Macintosh computers. The BAT uses a keyboard driver
to function and plugs into the ADB port of your Macintosh.
Q: WHICH PERSONAL COMPUTERS ARE
COMPATIBLE WITH THE BAT?
A: The PC model is compatible
with IBM PC AT, PS/2 or higher and 100% compatible computers.
The model requires no software to operate. Simply plug
it into the keyboard port of your computer and begin
enjoying the advantages of a free hand!
Q: WILL THE BAT Personal keyboard
HELP CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME?
A: Many factors can contribute
to cumulative trauma disorders, such as carpal tunnel
syndrome, like proper adjustment and use of equipment
and keyboards. Several specific factors have been attributed
to keyboards, such as forearm posture and "key-push"
effort. Many of these factors were considered when designing
the BAT Personal Keyboard. No medical research has been
conducted to know the specific answer to this question.
Q: WHAT IF THERE IS A PROBLEM OR
THE BAT keyboard DOESN'T WORK FOR MY APPLICATION?
A: Infogrip provides full technical
support to assist you in any phase of installation and
use. Registered owners get upgrade offers as they become
available. We are so confident that the BAT keyboard
will exceed your expectations that we offer an unconditional
30 day money back guarantee. The keyboard is covered
by a one year warranty.
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Documentation
Software
BAT Reference Guide USB [download] (1.08 mb)
BAT Reference Guide USB Right Hand [web]
BAT Reference Guide USB Left Hand [web]
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