The Effects of Standing Working Posture on Operation Force and Upper Limb Muscle Activation When Using Different Pointing Devices

This study investigated how sitting and standing working postures affected operation force, upper limb muscle activation, and task performance using different pointing devices. Fifteen male participants completed cursor aiming and dragging tasks using a conventional mouse, a vertical mouse, and a trackball at sitting and standing workstations. A custom-made force plate was used to measure operation forces applied to the pointing devices. Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to capture the activation of the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, deltoid, and trapezius. Task performance was measured by task success rates, and subjective ratings were obtained for the force required for operation, smoothness of operation, accuracy, and local fatigue in the upper limb. We quantified the following significant outcomes: (1) greater operation forces were found when standing; (2) standing reduced EMG amplitudes of the triceps and trapezius muscles for all tasks; (3) during the aiming task, the vertical mouse had greater operation forces; (4) during the dragging task, both the vertical mouse and trackball had greater operation forces; and (5) task success rates differed for pointing devices only when sitting. This study revealed the distinct biomechanical properties of standing working posture and suggested limited beneficial effects of alternative pointing devices in terms of task performance and subjective ratings.