Info Advantage Blog

Working at a desk is a fairly inescapable for the modern office worker. The trouble with sitting at a desk for long intervals is that it causes physical issues, especially if the workspace isn’t properly set up. Fortunately, you don’t have to invest in specialized equipment; it’s fairly simple to establish best practices that will ensure employee comfort and productivity.

Chair Specifications
While this may not be the first issue to enter your mind as you consider sources of discomfort in the workplace, it only makes sense to assure that the office chairs are as comfortable as possible. After all, it is where the employee will spend most of their day. A good office chair will have a cushion (preferably with breathable fabric) as well as armrests for the times the employee stops typing. The arms should be bent at 90 degrees and resting on the arms with relaxed shoulders. As for the backrest, height and angle should both be adjustable to keep posture upright - and the best will include some form of lumbar support.

Desktop Hardware Positioning
Ideally, the keyboards should line up to your employees’ positions so that there’s a straight line from their navels to their “B” keys; mouse at the same level, and as close to the keyboard as possible. Heightwise, the keyboard and mouse should be at a level where the typist will bend at the elbows, not the wrists. The monitor(s) should be positioned so that the top edge of the monitor is about two or three inches above the user’s eye line. One last note concerning monitors: glare should be eliminated as much as is possible. Here is a handy chart for determining ideal desk proportions.

Using the Right Equipment
Of course, using properly-sized equipment is only half of the battle - it also must be used properly. Posture is key to minimizing soreness and discomfort. Beyond the arm positioning and eye level of the monitors, leaning and slouching will cause stiffness. You should suggest that your employees position themselves to be sitting up straight, shoulders relaxed, and avoid reaching for items on their desks.

Be Sure to Take Breaks
It is also recommended that those working with computers and screens take frequent breaks to reduce the strain on the muscles and eyes. Stretching, getting up and moving around, or at least looking away from the screen are all highly recommended.

One might ask why they should invest time and resources into assuring that their employees sit properly. The simple answer: a comfortable employee is a productive employee. Without the distraction of physical discomfort, a team will accomplish more, treat your clients better, and generally improve the environmental experience of the workplace.

So, how else could some small environmental adjustments improve office productivity? Let us know in the comments below!

Virtual reality is quickly becoming a smash hit with many industries, but one of the most incredible and unexplainable phenomenons has to do with VR’s use in the medical sector. While it’s been thought that VR can be used to help paraplegic patients to walk again using brain-controlled robotic limbs, recent innovations have shown that this has the ability to go above and beyond its expectations.

The project, titled the Walk Again Project, was first introduced in 2013. Scientists came together from all over the world with the goal of giving paraplegics the ability to walk again using the power of technology. The study examined eight patients who had been diagnosed as being entirely paraplegic (they can’t move or feel their legs). There were several simulations performed, but they required the use of a haptic feedback device, which issued sensory feedback when their thoughts translated to movement.

The first experiment used brain-machine interface therapy combined with virtual reality. The patient would wear a device that sent brain signals to an Oculus Rift (a recently launched commercial VR headset). The patient would then see themselves walking. In the other type of therapy, the patient would use a robotic walker to help with walking therapy. The patient was suspended over a treadmill, with their legs being controlled by a robot. This activity was then sent to a computer, where the data could be analyzed.

However, the most interesting type of therapy involved using the robotic legs to send brain signals back to the patient. The legs used electronic sensors, which were placed at key locations along the leg, to send signals to the patient. The idea was to offer some sort of stimulation to the patient, so that they knew when their legs were supposed to be moving.

Thanks to ongoing long-term brain machine interface therapy, these patients found that they could sometimes feel--or move--their paralyzed limbs again. In particular, the treatment improved bladder and bowel function, and the treatments were so overwhelmingly successful that in many cases doctors changed the diagnoses to only partial paralysis.

Scientists still aren’t sure what has caused this magnificent development, but it’s anticipated that when they do, they might be able to restore mobility to those who have been long-paralyzed. To the unfortunate victims of paraplegia, this moonshot was once impossible, but technology has provided them with a sense of hope for the future.

What do you think about this development? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog.

Technology has unlocked some marvelous advancements for human civilization, and thanks to the Argus device by Second Sight, it can now provide a cure for blindness!