May, 2008 –
BioE alumnus Bingyune Chen was featured in Innovations for his work in Dr. Rempel’s Ergonomics Lab, where he is doing research to determine how weight affects the speed, accuracy and ease of use of a computer mouse. This research will hopefully prevent thousands of computer-related injuries over time.
Chen helped conduct a pilot project as an undergraduate researcher at the UCSF–UCB Ergonomics Laboratory through the Bioengineering Summer Research Program (BSBRP) in 2006, and now he is a full-time employee. The pilot project sparked his interest in his current project which intends to determine differences in mouse weight and the possible impact on performance.
Although it specializes in computer keyboards and mice, the lab has also investigated pipettes in the biotech industry, pruning tools for agricultural work, and chairs for sewing machine operators and their impact on workplace injuries. Lab director and Bioengineering Professor in Residence, David Rempel, who designed the study on mouse weight, encourages undergraduate interns to take an active role in research.
More extensive studies are needed to build on the experiment, Chen says, but for him the mouse project and other ergonomics research he’s conducted at the lab have been transformative.
Read the full article at Innovations