Are there Differences in Typing Performance and Typing Forces between Short and Long travel Keyboards?

Abstract

With keyboards gravitating towards thinner designs (shorter key travel distances) it is important to understand how these short travel keyboards may affect typing performance, typing forces and operator comfort. Using 15 subjects (7 males, 8 females), we wanted to determine whether there were differences in typing performance when computer operators typed on three keyboards with the same activation force (0.6 N) but with different key travel distances (2.0mm, 2.5mm and 4.0mm). During a 15 minute typing session on each keyboard, typing performance (speed and accuracy), typing forces and perceived fatigue ratings were measured. There were no differences in typing speed (p = 0.39), typing accuracy (p = 0.33) or keystroke durations (p = 0.15) across the three keyboards. However, typing force differences were measured (p < 0.003) with the longest travel keyboard (4.0mm) having higher mean and peak forces compared to the shorter travel keyboards (2.0 and 2.5 mm). These findings indicate that there is no apparent detriment in physical exposure or typing performance when using shorter travel keyboards.