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1. 4 2 3 Setting the times for the scheduled breaks E 4 2 4 Set the Strictness of the Aries system E 6 2 5 Rest Breaks used dea FOX eei ef ub EKKA qn tana bua o ador D c e 7 geegent Eeer RN CGU 9 PAP PCUONS oe 11 2 8 SAR lc 11 2 9 Stretches TIR TE E 12 PAAR ceo TTE 13 2 IL ADOUL SCOPI ood iudi noce PRet Mo eegene 13 2 12 RSI Frequently Asked Questions erii retento the ana eae a Yen na aee a anta ak Ta sa IR e Er quan 15 213 Help A S 17 2 14 Aries running in the background rient icr aka ht de ERN ER NO EN aS br SEENEN 18 2 15 elle 19 Aries op 1 Opening Aries Before you try to launch Aries please make sure you have Java installed as outlined in Appendix C To launch the Aries System Double click on the Aries jar file Shown in Figure 26 which can be located in the installation package Alternative method 1 Right click on the Aries jar file Figure 26 2 Left click on the Open option from the resulting pop up menu Aries Figure 26 The Aries jar file If Aries fails to load Open the Terminal UNIX Mac or the Command Prompt Windows Change the directory using the cd command to the directory containing the Aries jar Then type java jar Aries jar and press Enter 1 1 SplashScreen
2. 16 16 24 25 34 35 44 45 54 55 1 5 2 1 1 0 Male Female Other 8 2 0 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 0 2 5 3 0 Yes No 4 6 Typing Spreadsheets Browsing Gaming Emails Monitoring Other Internet systems 3 1 4 1 1 0 0 Work Leisure 6 4 Longer Shorter 8 2 Yes No 2 8 Yes No 2 8 Table 2 Questionnaire Results sample of 10 2 5 2 Focus Group The focus group was held with Hampton Associates Web Development team in their office The focus group was designed to get an insight in to the daily routine of a professional office and to see whether they were aware of the potential threats of RSI The focus group also discussed where such a system would be welcomed into a working environment and whether there were any extra features that they might want incorporated into the system see Appendix F Details of the results of the focus group can be found in Appendix G 2 6 Outcome of Client Research The outcome of the questionnaires and focus groups highlighted the fact that although RSI was known about by most professionals and older people mainly because they had experienced it before in some shape or form the younger participants were unaware of the potential threats that it can inflict to one s health And although many had heard of hardware solutions to RSI few had heard of software solutions It is these outcomes that wish to address with my proposed system to offer a software solution to RSI and to educate
3. Figure 21 Aries About screen 7 4 7 3 Help Screen The design of the Help screen had to be as simple as possible due to its very nature It is not beneficial having a confusing help screen which the user may need more help to navigate Therefore the design of the Help screen meant that it would consider of a pop up screen displaying tabbed panes Each pane would cover an area of the system The result of this is that the user will be able to easily navigate the help system with both ease and speed The pane will then have information about how to use that part of the system depending on which tab it is that has been selected Aries s help screen design can be seen below in figure 22 CS Aries Heip Screen Aries HelpScreen Home 9 Rest Break MircoBreak m cur Actions Settings Usage Stretches Window Controls Minimise User s Usage Tab User s Stretches Tab Clock Maximize and close File menu About menu User s Action Tab System s Settings Tab User s Windows Tab Posture guide Suetches Pop Up Current Work Intensity 2 e Displays the usei s current work bauer Posture Guide Button Rest Break Button Figure 22 Aries Help Screen 4 7 4 Posture Guide As the posture guide may be shown at start up it is essential for the screen to be very easy to understand as it may be the first contact that a user has had with the sy
4. The stretches must load on start up Table 10 Display All Stretches Use Case The Use Case for the system displaying the alerts for the users scheduled breaks is detailed here in Table 11 E Aries op Use Case Name Display Scheduled Breaks Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor User Stakeholder amp Interests User Clear and logical layout A title illustrating the type of break A graphic illustrating the type of break The ability to dismiss the alert Preconditions The Application is open The images need exist on the system The times at which the alerts are to appear have been set Success Guarantee A window opens displaying the type of break when it is time for that break to be taken Main Success Scenarios 1 The user sets the time at which they want the system to alert them of their morning break lunch break and when it is the end of the day 2 User achieves this my selecting the time from pull down menus 3 The user clicks Save Settings button Extensions a The user can dismiss the alert i User clicks the Dismiss button ii User clicks the cross at the top of the window b If the screen cannot be shown An appropriate error message will be displayed d At any time the user wants to exit the application User clicks on the Exit button in th
5. Aries Help Screen e Aries HelpScreen Ye GUI Actions Settings Usage Stretches JI wircogreak Aa Set the hour for the breaks using these boxes Set the minute for the breaks using these boxes Aries Set the strictness of the Aries System time between Rest Breaks Set the whether it is AM or PM for the breaks using these boxes Save your settings by clicking this button Close Figure 66 Aries Help Screen 1 Left click on the About menu shown in Figure 57 A17 Aries ep 2 Left click on the Help button shown below in Figure 67 Figure 67 Highlighted Help Menu Item You can also access the Help screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control H to display the Help screen The help screen will now appear To navigate through the help screen click on the tabs located at the top of the screen and highlighted in Figure 68 Rest Break P MircoBreak ai Settings Usage Stretches Figure 68 Highlight Help Tabs To close the Help screen 1 Left click on the Close button located at the bottom right of the window and highlighted in Figure 69 Alternative 2 Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen a Figure 69 Help Screen Close Button The help screen will now close 2 14 Aries running in the background If
6. File About V Posture Guide Ctri P MicroBreak Ctrl M Yen AA End of Day Figure 42 Highlighted Rest Break Menu Item You can also access the Rest Break screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control R to display a Rest Break The rest break will then appear Aries ep Which areas of the body benefit from this stretch Aries Rest Break Screen Aries Rest Break Areas Benefiting Lower Back lei stretch is calle Name of Stretch Hip Stretch This stretch stretches the lower back muscles and lhelps reposition the lower back e Instructions on how Place one leg over opposite thigh hands on to perform the stretch ankle and knee Slowly lean forward until you feel a comfortable stretch Hold for 10 seconds Repeat on other leg Progress of stretch completion Picture of the Stretch Another Stretch Open a different Rest Break Button Close the Rest Break Button Figure 43 Aries Rest Break Screen You can then choose to view another stretch if they do not visit to do the one shown 1 Left click on the Another Stretch Button located at the bottom right of the window and highlighted in Figure 44 Another Stretch p Figure 44 Highlighted Another Stretch Button This will display a new Rest Break You can also close the Rest Break before it is scheduled to finish 1 Click on the Close butto
7. 5 2 4 Create a stubs file In addition to the h file that was generated javah stubs was used to generate a stubs file The stubs file contains native language code that provides the glue that holds the Java class and its parallel native language structure together 5 2 5 Writing the Native Method Implementation After all this had been achieved the C code can be written The C function must have the same function signature as the one generated with javah into the CopNumberGetter h file The function signature generated for the CppNumberGetter class s Java_CppNumberGetter_getNumber native method looks like this extern C JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java CppNumberGetter getNumber JNIEnv jobject The implementation for this is a simple function that will return the integer 4 5 2 6 Creating a shared library Using the stubs file and the native method a shared library needed to be created This was achieved by compiling the two files into a library in the terminal using the following command 5 2 6 Running the program The program should now run and display the result Cpp told me 2 5 2 7 Problems difficulties A problem occurred when trying to load the shared library from inside Netbeans but after further research a solution was found The following lines of code is that solution private static void loadLib try have to use a stream InputStream in EventHook class getResource
8. D3 8 Typing Techniques E D5 eade D6 9 1 Carpal Ligament Release Surgery ode idi tee yea edant ua aUo Sx ade suut Ono unda D7 9 2 Trigger Finger Release Surgery essen enne nennen D7 SS Arthritis SUEY eege Eden D8 9 4 Surgery Success Rate ox XR E ENSE e RA FEX E Ce PER eua ERR CUP YER Ye ege ue D8 9 5 COSt Of E D8 Appendix E Architecture Research oisccisceceiccscsscceassseecensandscsnsaniateesasseceedavuecensenecsreserees E1 3 Architecture E siita innsinn anias Kai Elena Cada ku om Si adii aniian E1 1 2 Technical Architecture soi dia od obla ex o RARI Vb UR Rn to Po a n PUR E2 LEE ele TE E2 1 4 Application Architecture eege E2 1 5 Enterprise Architecture ee geg E3 Appendix F Focus Group Plan F1 UN uge UE ION Pp F1 2 Discussion TT F1 3 Introductory e E E F1 4 Knowledge of RSI CNRC c F1 Be Current solutions to RSI E F2 DIE F2 Fe OT SESSION NAT F2 Appendix G Focus Group Ouestlons esses eese eene eene enne G1 1 General RSI Related Questions i i rr it i t rr ek i a i e ew en G1 2 Software Currently Used and Daily Routine ssssssssssssssssssrsssssrrsseeeresssresnsssreeee G2 3 Evaluation of RSI Prevent proposed Teatures G2 Appendix H Qu uestionnalre usco seem taa e panes rre tonus ron a ape npa ipea Dusk vedrai ain H1 CC Aries op Table of Figures Figure 1 Diagram of Hand E
9. This could be improved by finding a means of making the scroll bar start at the top and thus at the beginning of the information about RSI text Rest Break Screen If the name or type ofthe Low stretch being displayed is longer than the length of the text field then some of the text is cut off This is a result of the inability to line wrap on a text field within Java This could be resolved by Oo Aries op changing the text field to a text area Table 23 Known GUI Issues 7 3 2 2 Usability improvements A few improvements to the Aries system were observed during the User testing detailed in section 6 4 The follow is a list of these proposed improvements e Put a Help screen button on the main GUI as users tended to give up on tasks rather than check this help guide The presence of a Help button on the main GUI may prompt the user to check the help guide e Support the ability to increase the size of the text on the GUI to accommodate for users with sight problems Everything else on the GUI including buttons and images should stay in proportion 7 3 3 Known Bugs Several bugs where revealed by the extensive testing that the Aries system was exposed to These bugs are listed below in Table 24 Bug Description Priority Rest Break Screen When lots of Rest Breaks Medium Low are open their timers running the progress bars threads cease running until some of the older
10. At any time the user wants to exit the application User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu ii User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements Stays at the forefront of the screen forcing the user to acknowledge it Table 7 MicroBreak Use Case The Use Case for the system s Rest Break is detailed below in Table 8 Display a Rest Break Use Case Name Display Rest Break Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor User Stakeholder amp Interests User Clear and logical layout Aries op Clear and simple to understand instructions A graphic illustrating the stretch A progress bar showing the time remaining of the Rest Break The option to display an alternative stretch Preconditions Application is open The xml file exists where the stretch information is held The stretch images can be located Success Guarantee A screen appears displaying a graphic of a stretch for the user to perform along with instructions on how to achieve this and the benefits of such a stretch Main Success Scenarios 1 The progress bar reaches a hundred percent This duration this takes to reach completion can be adjusted using the strictness slider 2 The user clicks on the RestBreak button 3
11. This document outlines and discusses the various design implementation methods and decisions made throughout development as well as detailing implementation problems and how these problems were overcome The system was implemented using the popular platform independent programming language of Java The system also makes use of other popular technologies such as xml and C The system has received positive feedback from a small group of would be potential users of the system Finally this report outlines the future additional work to be implemented to the system in order for the software to have additional functionality and in order for it to be production ready Aries op Table of Contents DGG lall AE ION H aaaeaii 2 ACKNOWIGEBCINGHEG RT 3 Ee 4 Table of TE 11 Table of Ta BSS e n 12 Glossary Of TET NOE DTE 13 Medical TERM EE 14 Chapter lg geg e E 15 dE DIE Mee MT 15 1 2 What is KEE 15 iS We e ATO EE 17 1 4 The Benefit OF Interventioriu usse eim gi perti i ec Fo re savannas Ee 17 tS The Challenge E a 18 1 6 Primary Goals for the System E 18 ESSI gc MES RN RP p cn 18 Eent 18 EE 18 1 6 4 Posture ET 18 1 6 5 E SCrEE E 18 16 6 ReS atC EEN 18 1 7 Secondary Goals for the System 19 1 7 1 Statistics and ACE TEE 19 1 7 2 Graph and Charts sissioni aeaa i aS 19 1 7 3 Frequently Asked Questions Screen 19 1 7 4 Intuitive User
12. Main Success Scenarios 1 User opens the Aries Application 2 All progress bars will begin to run and the clock will be at the correct time Extensions a If the system is cannot get the time i Appropriate error message displayed ii User clicks ok and the system does not hang or crash Special Requirements Must not restrict the user s normal activities Table 5 System Timer Use Case The Use Case for the systems posture guide which allows the user to set up their workstation correctly is detailed below in Table 6 Correct set up of the user s workstation Use Case Name Display Posture Guide Scope Aries Level System goal Primary Actor User Stakeholder amp Interests User The guide must be simple and easy to follow The guide must not contain any technical references terms The guide must have a logical layout Preconditions The Aries application is open The users work means that they use a workstation The user has the proper equipment in order to fulfil the guidelines Success Guarantee A screen appears displaying a graphic of how the users workstation should be set up in order to help prevent reduce RSI Main Success Scenarios 1 The guide should appear on start up 2 The user can access the guide at any time but click on the Posture Guide button in the File pull down menu Extensions
13. Aries Repetitive Strain Injury Prevention Software Peter Alasdair Kindness University of Aberdeen Supervisor Dr Judith Masthoff Aries op Declaration declare that this document and the accompanying code have been composed by myself and details my own work unless otherwise acknowledged in the text This project has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree All verbatim extracts have been distinguished by quotation marks and all sources of information have been specifically acknowledged Signed Peter Alasdair Kindness Date Various screenshots and images have been used throughout the making of the Aries software and this report Any of this images taken from copyrighted software are owned by the company or person who originally designed and produced the original software The use of irreproducible low resolution screenshots to illustrate point s in question is believed to qualify as Fair Use under copyright law Netbeans is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation Java and MySQL are register trademarks of Sun Microsystems Inc now owned by Oracle Corporation Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Inc Qemu is a trademark of Fabrice Bellard Ce Aries op Acknowledgements would like to thank the following people e Firstly Judith Masthoff for her advice and support with the writing of this report
14. BreakWrapper java Extends the Break class and passes the correct image and alert type FAQ java The window displayed to the user when they access the RSI FAQ screen GUI java Aries main graphical user interface GuiWrapper java Extends the GUI and deals with all inputs such as eventlisteners and initiates a response by making calls on other classes Orchestrates the GUI and other classes to perform actions based on input Help java The window displayed to the user when they access the Help screen MicroBreakScreen java The window displayed to the user during a micro break MicroBreakWrapper java Extends the MicroBreakScreen and handles the threads and events Posture java The window displayed to the user when they access the Posture Guide SplashScreen java The window displayed to the user when they first launch Aries StretchesScreen java The window displayed to the user when they encounter a Rest Break StretchesScreenWrapper java Extends the StretchesScreen and deals with displaying the stretch image and instructions along with threads and eventlisteners for the screen 4 2 Aries Logic DisplayTime java Deals with and handles the system s time Initialiser java This is the first class that is called It is the systems main class Calls the SplashScreen then initialises the GUI MicroBreak java Generates the threads for the MircoBreaks Minimiz
15. Break Time Online a Aries op Available at http www kadmi com products html 20 Cheqsoft 2000 Break Reminder Online Available at http www chegsoft com break html 21 Wellnomics 2010 WorkPace Online Available at http www workpace com 22 Albion 2010 StopNow Online Available at http www albionresearch com astopnow 23 Atawell 2010 Workplace Angel Online Available at http wpangel com 24 Sphere 10 Software 2010 RSI Warrior Online Available at http rsiwarrior com 25 Martin 2009 Eye Defender Online Available at http www ghacks net 2008 08 15 eye defender reminds you to take breaks 26 ThreadBuilder 2009 Stress Buster Available at http www freedownloadscenter com Business Time and Clock Tools Stre ss Buster html 27 Sun Microsystems 1999 Why Are Thread stop Thread suspend Thread resume and Runtime runFinalizersOnExit Deprecated Online Available at http java sun com j2se 1 4 2 docs guide misc threadPrimitiveDeprecation html 28 Suzette Pelouch 2000 Volatile Fields Online Available at http java sun com docs books jls second edition html classes doc html 36930 Aries op Appendix A Aries User Manual Contents 1l Opening AFrlIGS eege Eegen dee ENEE don e eae E Eegen dee Ne eege 2 1 US PIAS SCREEN PR T 2 2 The Aries SY TEEN 2 FAN POS HUIS GUIE EE 2 2 2 AMOS OVERVIEW s seiigis ssie a
16. Stretches Pop up button located on the GUI s main window Although this was not labelled Rest Break they took an educated guess and tried it Time A few seconds Outcome Success Subject2 Clicked on the file menu and then click on the Rest Break button Time 15 seconds Outcome Success Task 2 Your legs are feeling tired and you decided to do a stretch designed for your legs Find me such a stretch using the system Subject1 Clicked on the Stretches tab and then clicked on the Legs tab Time 10 seconds Outcome Success Aries op Subject2 Clicked on the File menu then clicked on the About menu acknowledge the existence of a Help button but carried on Clicked on the Stretches tab on the main GUI then after seeing the Legs tab clicked on that Time 30 seconds Outcome Success Task 3 Set the lunch time break to quarter past one in the afternoon Subject1 The user clicked on the settings tab and changed the lunchtime combo boxes to 1 15 PM Time 10 seconds Outcome Success Subject2 The user clicked on the settings tab and changed the lunchtime combo boxes to 1 15 PM Time 10 seconds Outcome Success Task 4 Set up your workstation ergonomically to help reduce your risk of RSI Subject 1 Clicked through the GUI s main tabs before seeing the Posture Guide button on the main GUI Clicked the Posture Guide button Time 5 seconds Outcome Success Subject 2 Clicked on t
17. You will now be presented with the system s SplashScreen illustrated below in Figure 27 This screen is displayed whilst the system is loading Aries Loading Screen Figure 27 Aries SplashScreen j 2 The Aries System 2 1 Posture Guide Once the Aries system has loaded it will immediately begin to monitor your key presses and mouse clicks in order to help you from developing RSI NB No sensitive data will be stored by this system You will then be presented with the system s Posture Guide shown in MM CC Aries ep Figure 28 that shows how your workstation should be best set up to help reduce and prevent the effects of RSI Workstation ergonomics ideal set up Top of monitor at eye level or just below Beck straight Elbows close to Backrest supporting lower back Adjustable swivel chair Front of seat not pressing Feet flat on ground on back of knees or resting on footrest Show this screen on Start up Close Figure 28 Aries Posture Guide Screen To close this guide left click either the Close button highlighted below in Figure 29 Alternative Left click on the cross at the top right of the window Close Figure 29 Close Button You are able open the Posture Guide at any time whilst using Aries One way to do this is to select it from the File menu 1 Left click on the File menu located at the top left of the window and sho
18. but after extensive searching no support could be found for the Linux environment However due to the fact that all the systems in the University s computing department are currently running Centos a Linux environment this posed a problem However eventually a solution was found An eventlistener was successfully created in C that would work on the University systems and any other Linux system This eventlistener works by using a system hook and listens to the events travelling between the kernel and the security level The listener returns the events to the user as the user can not access the kernel This only works for the user that the system is logged in as though for security reasons Events for another user would be encrypted and so the listener would not work A snippet of the C code can be seen below in figure 25 The eventlistener refreshes every 15 milliseconds and is relatively efficient taking up only a few per cent of the computers CPU power 16 JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook getMouseDistance JNIEnv env jobject jobj return distance 17 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook getMouseClickCounter JNIEnv env jobject jobj return counterMouseClicks 18 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook getKeyPressedCounter JNIEnv env jobject jobj return counterKeyPressed 1g JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook getMouseX JNIEnv env jobject jobi return
19. e Secondly a special thanks to Thibaut Lutz for his extensive knowledge and command of the C language and Linux environment Aries op Abstract Whilst working during my industrial placement became aware of the potential threat of Repetitive Strain Injury RSI The company that worked for had a whole division set up to help people with RSI problems and with the goal of preventing RSI in the first instance This included setting up any new member s workstations so they are ergonomically correct for that individual combined with offering different peripherals to try and reduce the effects of RSI Installed on every system was RSI prevention software it is this that intend to reproduce and improve on The system will offer users a way to prevent RSI by making them take rest breaks or mircobreaks throughout the day These breaks will force the user to stop typing and will show the user various stretches that can greatly reduce the risk of getting RSI The system will also offer users advice on how to set up their workstations information and statistics on how much they have used their computer and allow them to view stretches at anytime The goal of my project is to both raise awareness of RSI which affects millions of people worldwide and offer a viable system to help aid in its prevention The system should educate the user about RSI and ways to prevent it the analysis phase of the project as education is still very much the best cure
20. 0 2 Correct Mouse Angle Ergonomic software is another option to prevent RSI when using a mouse This is because working at a computer can become hypnotic and often you don t realise just how long you have been working and how much you have been typing and using the mouse The ergonomics software package will run in the background and monitor how much you have been using the computer and then will prompt you to take a rest break at appropriate intervals throughout the day or during prolonged periods of activity It should also suggest simple exercises for you to do during this break Another feature that can be offered to the user is an AutoClick feature This can dramatically reduce the amount of strain experienced by using a mouse and has no significant productivity loss This feature works by counting every time the mouse stops as a click This could be a single double or right click depending upon your settings Although this feature can take bit of getting used to it is an effective way of decreasing RSI when developed properly AutoClick is particularly useful for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and de Quervain syndrome sufferers and for its prevention De Quervain s syndrome is a painful condition that affects tendons where they run through a tunnel on the thumb side of the wrist Illustrated in figure 6 0 3 and 6 0 4 below a ds D Extensor pollicis brevis tendon eg d gt Abductor pollicis longus tendon Swelling in tunnel Figur
21. 16 Figure 2 Break Time Main Window essere nennen enne nennen nns 21 Figure 3 Break Reminder s settings window ccsssececesseececeeseneecesessaeeessssneeeeeeeaes 22 Figure 4 Workpace s graphical representation of user s activity 23 Figure 5 Albion StopNow Interface 24 Figure 6 Workplace Angel settings screen 24 Figure 7 Stress Buster Short Pause screen 26 Figure 8 The convention stages of requirements capture s sssssssssesrersssrrrsssssrs 30 Figure 9 UML use case diagram detailing primary functionalities 34 Figure 10 Three Tier Architecture Of System 46 Figure 11 UML Sequence Diagram illustrating the basic interactions between the user and th SVSEBITI si oto eria ica Haa epe aaa iaaii e EREEREER CA qe Da Maus 50 Figure 12 RSI Warrior s GUI E 51 Figure 13 Workpace menus and GU 51 Figure 14 Aries Main GUI rt tpi eege ENEE ARC eee ERREUR 52 Figure 15 RSI Warrior Stretch Player recette eterne nnno thea rns ha ranas 52 Figure 15 Workpace Break us esi roodo sue eene eau ena eeiam dc 53 Figure 17 Aries Rest Break WindoOw eese eene nennen nnne nnne nns 53 Figure 18 Break Reminder Workpace and Big Stretch s sssssnssssssssesseesssressssssresee 54 Figure 19 Aries MicroBreak deiert gege esa peine Ian au Maa dup eia REN HERE ER D YA ER a e MM GRE 54 Figure 20 Aries Scheduled Bre
22. Application Type There are various types of application that this proposed system could take Although from the original concept the system was always going to be a traditional desktop application took it upon myself to research the topic and looked into the other possibilities that were out there and too see if they provided a more elegant alternative The alternative that was looked into was that of having the system deployed as a web based application Such a system would mean that the only requirements that the user would need would be that of a web browser with the appropriate plug ins However even with the vast improvement and advancement in web based technologies it soon became clear that the functional requirements that are necessary to my system could not all be fulfilled This fact amalgamated with nearly all my programming and development experience being with that of the traditional desktop application type further cemented the conclusion of going on the traditional path 4 2 Development Language As a non functional requirement my system was implemented with the ambition of achieving full platform independence This was a key aspect when it came to choosing the programming language that would be used to develop the system Another important aspect to consider when choosing the correct language was to factor in how much experience had had using the language and how much time would be needed to learn new techniques and synta
23. Break Time 2 0 1 Break Time 20 is a rest break reminder system designed to prevent RSI Computer Vision Syndrome CVS and Occupational Overuse Syndrome OOS Break Time s designers believe that reminding the user to take regular breaks in order to relax and exercise throughout the day will prevent weariness and fatigue They also believes that users should listen to quiet music during these breaks in order to enhance the relaxation As a result of this Break Time provides the user with calm and soothing music in the background during their break The system monitors the user s time on the computer and will recommend times for the user to take breaks in order to reduce the affects of RSI The system main interface is shown below in figure 2 Aries op Strain level Low Strain Statistics Total work duration Continuous work duration Work time remaining Figure 2 Break Time Main Window Break Time offers the following features e Rest break reminders e Monitoring of the user s activity e Customizable Information Window with a strain indicator e Locks the users screen during breaks to enforce them e Provides three types of reminders These include a message in the Main Window Information Window Lock Screen e Allows the user to start a break at any time e Allows the user to postpone or ignore breaks e Offers a pre break warning to users a flashing tray icon and a warning sound e Plays a sound t
24. Interface oss copo vier bun don bodega yc a dr c n e 19 1 7 5 RODUSTMESS Cocoa imas Cuin dx o ida xvi elim aeta Ere PR Rev t 19 SE 19 1 7 7 Adherence to Programming Standards E 19 1 7 8 Eelere c 19 e CH Urs 19 Chapter 2 daer 20 2 4 Existing Systems2 e e a e EE ENEE 20 2 2 WIL 20 221 Break Time 20 EE 20 Aries op 2 2 2 Break REMUAGEN M RR T UU T T 21 EE eet deefe 23 2 2 4 En Beet E 23 2 2 5 Eeleren eeneg 24 KL EE 24 E Me TTT 25 2 3 1 RSLScreensaver E 1 D 25 2 3 2 EE 25 2 3 3 Stress BUSTOM iie eee ner ee 26 2 4 Analysis of Existing SystelTis iiiuee eroi tte pecia ton su da reta due aab gei p as kE eue PLR none Kn 26 2 5 Client Research E 27 2 5 1 QUESTIONMAIING sorsien nenni nsina naia anen Eaa aieea 27 2 5 2 FOCUS GOUD EE 28 2 6 Outcome of Client Rescate uonvpiekarsibin S adi inni px n ravi ER RYE nai rini 28 Chapter 3 Begulreretibs sneseno aaa a a 30 3 1 Functional REQUIPEMIENUS visa dageegereeubeeegeeeer Cette Gegen ege 30 3 1 1 Product Perspettive EE 30 3 1 2 Model for capturing Requirements esses eene 30 3 1 2 Product Functional Requirements eese eene eene 30 Da General Constraints seccion a a a aE 41 3 1 4 Assumptions and Dependencies cccssssccssssssscessssesseseesssacesessaceesssees 41 3 2 Database Un 41 3 3 Non Functional Requirements cccssccccecssstececssseececsssseeeceesenaeeeeseaeeeseseneees 41 3 3 1 User Intetfat BS eege eebe MN 4
25. Leg Hands Eyes Back or Neck Enter this between the type and lt type gt tags Enter the name of the stretch you are adding between the lt name gt and lt name gt tags Enter the instruction of how to perform your stretch between the description and lt description gt tags In the URL name tag lt URL name the stretch name gt enter the name of your stretch in place of the stretch name Place the image of you stretch in the Graphics folder This folder is a sub folder of the Stretches folder which is inside the Aries folder Change the URL in the xml to match that of your image This can be achieved by changing the Name of the stretch image jpg in the Stretches Graphics Name of the stretch image jpg An example of this would be Stretches Graphics Stretch2 jpg Save the XML file 10 Re build the Aries project see Section 2 6 2 Add another Scheduled Break Screen In order to add another scheduled break to the system the developer must do the following E E Aries ep Difficulty Moderate 1 Add three JCombo Boxes and a TextLabel to the Setting tab s pane on Aries GUI illustrated below in figure 1 Sa Usage y Actions A Morning Break Lunch 12 w 00 PM End of Day 5 oo PM Figure 73 Proposed placement of new Schedule break ry Windows Settings Stretches aa 11 00 Am v 2 Enter
26. a At any time the user wants to close the guide once it is open i User clicks on the close button ii User clicks on the cross at the top of the window b At any time the user wants to exit the application User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu ii User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu SS om Aries op Special Requirements The guide must load almost instantly Table 6 Posture Guide Use Case The Use Case for the system s MicroBreak is detailed below in Table 7 Use Case Name Display MicroBreak Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor User Stakeholder amp Interests User Clear logical layout MicroBreak progress bar No errors during running Preconditions Application is open The MircoBreak s image can be located Success Guarantee A MircoBreak Screen appears and stays on screen till the progress bar has completed Main Success Scenarios 1 The user s work intensity reaches three or above resulting in a MicroBreak occurring 2 The user clicks on the MicroBreak button from the File pull down menu Extensions a The user may choose to ignore the MicroBreak i User clicks on the ignore button ii User clicks on the cross at the top of the window b
27. a result the class files have been produced an h file was needed to be created This h file header file was generated using the CppNumberGetter java class using the javah utility program This header file defines the structure that represents the CopNumberGetter class on the native language side and provides a function definition for the implementation of the native method getNumber defined in that class The javah places the new h file in the same directory as the Oase files and takes its name from the Java class so in this case CppNumberGetter h includejava example CppNumberGetter h The header contains a struct definition for the structure named class CppNumberGetter The members of this structure parallel the members of the corresponding Java class The members of the struct can be used to reference class instance variables from the native language functions The header also contains the line HandleTo CppNumberGetter This line creates a typedef struct named HCppNumberGetter which is used to pass objects between Java and another language in this case C In addition to the structure that mimics the Java class there is also a function signature that looks like this extern C JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java CppNumberGetter getNumber JNIEnv jobject E CC Aries op This is the definition to the function that provides the implementation for the CppNumberGetter class s native method getNumber
28. and their need to take measures to prevent RSI This was highlighted in 2002 when Barclays Bank had to pay compensation to the sum of 244 000 to a former employee who was forced to give up work because of pain in her right hand 10 a pain that was a direct result of RSI i CC Aries op RSI is a broad syndrome that encompasses a variety of musculoskeletal disorders These can affect tendons muscles and nerves in the hands arms and upper back RSI is caused when muscles are kept in a tense state for prolonged periods of time due to either poor posture or repetitive motions The most common types of RSI related disorders which can develop are e Carpal tunnel syndrome CTS is the most common type of RSI disorder diagnosed and occurs when the median nerve is compressed by the surrounding sheath encompassing the tendons at the wrist CTS can be indicated by symptoms such as burning and tingling pain coldness and sometimes weakness in parts of the hand which grow gradually 11 e Tendonitis which is the inflammation of the tendons 12 e Tenosynovitis is the inflammation of the fluid filled sheath surrounding a tendon the synovium It is the most Finger Tendons common cause of tendonitis and is closely related to stenosing tenosynovitis 12 e DeQuervain s Syndrome is an inflammation of the synovium or carpal tunnel that The Carpal Tunnel surrounds the two tendons which control i M us the movement of the
29. are designed to help prevent RSI on demand Workplace Angel Settings 3 T Shed gt Micropause ff gt imeiopaize Pause For the most convenient work you should get short pauses in your work J Working Time periodically During these pauses you can walk around the office or home Time Linas Or do some exercises Customize Here you can adjust intervals between sheet breaks and their duration Lu Startup V Use micropauses Je Sounds A Registration Interval between micropauses 01 00 minutes seconds Mkropause duration 00 11 mintes seconds Las Figure 6 Workplace Angel settings screen 2 2 6 RSI warrior RSI warrior 24 is similar to the Workpace system described earlier It actively looks to prevent RSI from occurring as well as help users that already suffer from RSI RSI warrior boats the following features e Rest break reminders that are timed based on how hard the user is actually working on the computer whilst being as unobtrusive as possible e RSI warrior boasts to have over twenty professionally designed stretches that are shown during the rest breaks The stretches are thirty seconds long in duration and guide the user through the stretches with the help of smooth 3D animations Aries op e The system also has an ergonomics wizard that is designed to show the user how to properly configure their workstation e Posture reminders are also shown to remind the user to correct
30. back and neck aches dry and burning eyes light sensitivity distorted colour vision forehead heaviness and sore eyes 1 EyeDefender boasts the following features e Allows the user to control the level of eye strain e Allows the user to adjust the time period for a popup reminder e Allows the user to set up the duration of the rest break e Allows the user to have a break at any time e The counter between breaks can be reset at any time e The user can stop the counter when you do not want to be interrupted e The counter can be set to stop automatically after some time of inactivity e The system also boasts four rest modes slideshow visual training screensaver launch or popup tray reminder e The system also starts when your computer is switched on CS Aries op 2 3 3 Stress Buster This RSI prevention software was designed to prevent upper limb disorders such as back pain neck wrists and shoulder pains carpel tunnel syndrome tenosynovitis and tendinitis Like my proposed system it aims to help aid the recovery from RSI as well as the prevention Stress Buster 26 runs in the background and reminds the user to takes breaks throughout the day in order to help the prevention of RSI Stress Buster boasts the following features e The system offers the user three levels of breaks These are Short Pause Short Break and Long Break e The system offers the user to adjust the times for the breaks e The systems mon
31. breaks finish their threads Steps to resolve Only allow the user to have one break open at a time Or increase the memory that java is allowed Posture Guide More than one Posture Low Guide can be on the screen at once Future Solution Close the window before calling a new one Table 24 Known Bugs CS Aries op 7 4 Future Work In order to fulfil the initial ambitions of the Aries system future work needs to be carried out on the system Many of these issues have been highlighted in the sections above such as making the system fully functional on the Windows OS environment and employing the ability to save the users setting for future sessions The system has been designed and implemented to help aid any further development The use of the three tier architecture ensures that any changes or additions can be easily implemented without affecting the systems core functionality The use of modularity and extensive commenting throughout the source code also ensure that any future work by developers outside the original Aries development team will not be hindered as the code is both easy to follow and understand Several additional features may be added to the Aries system that were not in the original system s requirements A suggestion from the focus group recommended that the Aries system monitor the number of hours that were spent on certain projects This was not considered as it was a relatively
32. even for a few seconds can greatly reduce the risk of RSI developing The system will present the user with a window that will have a countdown displayed upon it these MircoBreaks will be initiated in correspondence to the users work intensity 1 6 3 Stretches The system should be able to provide the user with the ability to look through the systems stretches at any time 1 6 4 Posture Guide The system will present the user with a Posture guide on start up This guide will allow the user to adjust their workstation in order to make it more ergonomically efficient This screen should be able to be viewed at anytime 1 6 5 Help Screen The system will have help capabilities This means that if a user is unsure about any of the systems features they will be able to find instructions 1 6 6 Research Extensive research will be carried out throughout the duration of the project in order to ensure the best approach has been taken and all possible avenues have been explored Aries op 1 7 Secondary Goals for the System With the realisation of such issues the proposed system should also look into offering the user further functionality and adhering to design protocol such as 1 7 1 Statistics and Facts The user should be able to view various statistics on their behaviour during the session The statistics will include things such as keys pressed mouse distance travelled and programs used 1 7 2 Graph and Charts The user
33. feasibility of such a project and to establish the existing features of current system currently in the market place Initial research uncovered that there were many existing systems offering a similar system The following chapter details these findings 2 1 Existing Systems As mentioned earlier it was after encountered a similar RSI system to the one proposed for my project that became aware of the potential threats of RSI and had the idea to reproduce and improve upon such a system Upon researching similar RSI prevention and reduction software became aware that there are many currently in the market The available systems cover a wide spectrum of RSI relating syndromes and range from being specifically designed to combat one syndrome to a wide array of syndromes also looked in to the classification of software that the current systems fall under This was to research the potential scope and financial gain that could be achieved by a project like mine The software that researched tended to fall into the two categories The first being the traditional form of software where a product has been designed with the intention to sell to buying consumers in order to make a profit out of the investment in the production of such a system This is commonly referred to as Payware The other form of software out there is that of Freeware this when the software is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee 2 2 Payware 2 2 1
34. left click on the Settings Tab it is the third one and then you will be presented with the settings screen illustrated in Figure 32 Set the hour for the breaks using these boxes Set the minute for the breaks using these boxes Aries elei sl File About Y Actions GD usase settings D aa Morning Break 11 x 00 x Lunch End of Day 12 v 00 v 5 E 00 System Strictness EnA Save Settings Current Work I Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Set the strictness of the Aries F Set the whether it is AM or PM System i Save your settings by clicking this button time between Rest Breaks for the breaks using these boxes y gs by Figure 32 Aries Settings Screen 2 Left click on the pull down box that you want to change A drop down list will appear shown in Figure 33 below Figure 33 Scheduled Break Hour Drop Down 3 Left click on your desired value then make sure that the AM PM box shown below in Figure 34 is in the correct state AM z Figure 34 AM PM Box Aries op Left click on your desired value and then click on the Save Settings button shown below in Figure 35 Save Settings Figure 35 Save Settings Button When the Aries clock reaches one of the times that have been set by the user the corresponding break screen wi
35. period such as 5 minutes Intensity will be measured on a scale of 5 65 Sys System shall be able to show the 2 user how long it is until the next break 68 U User shall be able to set the 50 55 3 strictness of the breaks 70 Sys System shall be able to 55 3 determine when the next micro break shall be depending upon intensity level 74 U User shall be able to set the 3 duration of uninterrupted work 75 Sys System shall be able to show the 2 overall time in hrs mins that the system has been in use Total time the user is on the computer 80 Sys System shall be able to allow the 3 user choose where they are allowed to ignore breaks or not 82 U User shall be able to ignore a 80 2 break if non compulsory 85 Sys System shall be able to Show the 75 3 user what programs they have been using from the present session 90 Sys System shall be able to tell the 10 3 user how many keys their left hand has pressed 91 Sys System shall be able to tell the 10 3 user how many keys their right hand has pressed 100 Sys The system s breaks will always 3 appear on top of any other window that the user may have open 105 U User shall be able to have the 3 system blacken the background during breaks 110 U User shall be able to disable the 3 7 Aries op mouse during breaks 120 Sys The system should have a pre 3 break s
36. statistics should be presented in various charts and graphs 1 7 3 Frequently Asked Questions Screen The System will offer FAQ s and their answers about RSI to the user to help increase the user s knowledge and understanding of the threats of RSI 1 7 4 Intuitive User Interface The system will have a simple easy to use graphical user interface 1 7 5 Robustness The system must be robust in order to deal with improper user inputs and general abuse to the system without causing the system to crash or hang Fuzz testing will be carried out on the system to insure that the system is robust 1 7 6 Reliable The system must be reliable in order to perform and fulfil its requirements every time the program is run 1 7 7 Adherence to Programming Standards The system must be programmed with adherence to programming standards This is in order to increase maintainability and can be achieved using appropriate comments and formatting 1 7 8 Portability The system must be portable in order to be accessible to as wide a consumer base as possible It must be able to run on the most widespread Operating Systems OS These are Windows Linux based systems and Apple Macintosh 1 7 9 Privacy The system should also be aware of the user privacy and must be careful with saving and dealing with monitoring the user s activities Aries op Chapter 2 Analysis At the beginning of this project research was undertaken to determine the
37. t also monitors the user s work intensity throughout the sessions and e Provides the user with feedback in the form of graphs and charts 2 2 4 Albion StopNow This software is designed to remind the user to take RSI preventing breaks StopNow s 22 shown in figure 5 reminder is designed to be e Obvious to the user but not obvious to anyone else e They are actually designed to be mildly annoying in order to actually make you listen and take a break e Designed to be appropriate for a work environment meaning that there are no pop ups that may result in lost key strokes CC Albion StopNow x Albion s StopNow 3 2 Albion Research Ltd 1995 2002 H Web www albionresearch com astopnow Support support albionresearch com This copy is licensed to Mike Bell r Time Settings Stop me using Work Period mins 25 i C Default Beep Control Panel Sounds Rest Period mins 52 JM Caption Color m Disable changes to settings during or near rest periods Right click the task bar icon to add 5 mins to the current work period Help Registered Figure 5 Albion StopNow Interface 2 2 5 Workplace Angel Workplace Angel 23 is designed to be a flexible and easy to use program that helps in setting up the user s workstation for comfortable and healthy work The program also reminds the user to take pauses throughout the working day and demonstrates animated exercises that
38. the New Break and displays it on the break screen Bcontroller SetBreakName New Break display the icon on the screen Bcontroller SetBreakImage icon Change the New Break to the name of whatever the break it is you want to display and change the Path of the breaks image to an image in the Graphics folder inside the Aries folder You can add any image you want to this folder CS Aries op Appendix C Installing Java SE 6 Linux Java SE 6 is provided for Linux by Sun Microsystems For system requirements please see http www java com en download help 6000011000 xml All major Linux distributions support Java SE 6 To install Java for Linux please see http www java com en download help linux_install xml For Fedora and Red Hat based systems an RPM installer is available and can be found here http www java com en download help 5000012000 xml For Debian based distributions such as Ubuntu Java SE 6 can be installed through the Package Manager Windows Java SE 6 is provided for Windows by Sun Microsystems Java SE 6 is supported on the following Windows versions 2000 Service Pack 4 XP Service Pack 2 Server 2003 Vista and Windows 7 Java SE 6 is available on all 32bit versions of these systems and is supported on 64bit versions of XP Server 2003 Vista and Windows 7 For system requirements please see http www java com en download help 6000011000 xml To install Java SE
39. the desired text into the Text Label 3 Put values from 1 to 12 into the Hour ComboBox 4 Put the values 00 15 30 and 45 into the Minute ComboBox 5 Put the values AM and PM into the AMPM ComboBox 6 Now Open the getSettings class and enter an If statement for your new break Like if controller GetNewBreakAMPMValue equals PM see other loops of examples 7 Then set the time to twenty four hour String realNewBreakHour Integer toString NewBreak24 8 Then put the time into the correct format Like shown here NewBreakTime realNewBreakHour controller GetNewBreakMinuteValue 00 9 Next open the GuiWrapper Class 10 Insert getter methods for each of the three Combo boxes that you added to the GUI An example is shown below public String GetNewBreakAMPMValue return String NewBreakAmPmCombo getSelectedItem 11 Next Open the DisplayTime class and insert the following if else clause to the if statement located at the foot of the class An example is shown here else if timeNow equals getSettings NewBreakTime ScheduledBreakType New Break controller newDisplayScheduledBreak 12 Lastly Open the displayScheduledBreak class and add and else if statement to the if clause like shown here else if Displaytime scheduledBreakType equals New Break Creates an icon to display on the break screen Imagelcon icon createImagelIcon Path to the breaks image Sets
40. to refine the system architecture to provide the design decisions that relate exclusively to the business function rather than to the whole of the system 1 5 Enterprise Architecture The term enterprise architecture is one that is often mistakenly used by people that work on enterprise systems or systems that involve components that are touted as enterprise level This form of architecture however is more involved with the mapping of business process and the needs of technical capabilities of the organisation which include personnel strategy distribution and how the business changing needs will be addressed Business Process Technical Strategy Enterprise System 1 System N Application 1 Application 1 Application N Application N Integration Consistency Figure 76 Enterprise Architecture The enterprise architecture therefore encompasses the whole development spectrum being enterprise wide and requires careful inspection of all the business functions and their strategic requirements Enterprise architectures should be treated with a pinch of salt however as they are often mistakenly used to represent some form of enterprise software CC Aries op Appendix F Focus Group Plan 1 Introduction This study will be carried out by Peter Kindness as part of his research towards his 4 year honours project which looks into the causes of RSI with a view to reducing or eradicating these causes Participation in this stud
41. to software engineering protocols will be strict with sufficient comments and modularity included throughout Each class must contain the standardised project header containing the author information version number and date as well as the history of any changes made A separate manual giving detailed instructions on how to maintain the system and a detailed overview of the system will be provided once the implementation phase has been fulfilled 3 4 5 Portability My system should be able to be installed on various Operating systems such as Windows Linux and Macintosh in order to cater for all potential users 3 4 6 Performance My system must not lag or hang through use This is of vital importance in order to offer a stress free experience for the user of my system 3 4 7 Accessibility The user interface should be accessible to those with disabilities and where appropriate adhere to relevant guidelines 3 4 8 Learnability The user should be able to learn how to use the system without tuition They will be aided with any problems by the system s help screen 3 4 9 Error Handling The system should be fault tolerant with correct error handling at all times In general unrecoverable errors should not occur Aries op Chapter 4 Design and Implementation Decisions This chapter discusses and goes into more detail about how the functionality in the last chapter is going to be realised into a physical system 4 1
42. to use the system at anytime This will be in the form of a help screen The user shall be able to see information about the system An About screen for displaying why the program was made The system should show the Posture Guide on start up Table 14 Prototype 1 0 4 5 2 Prototype 1 1 The aim of the next prototype is to build in more functionality around the bare bones of the system The proposed functionality improvements are detailed below in Table 15 Threads System shall be able to show the user how long it is till the next break System shall be able to show the overall time in hrs mins the system has been in use Total time the user is on the computer The user should be able to set a time for when the system will alert them of when it is time for the morning break The user should be able to set a time for when the system will alert them of when it is time for the lunch The user should be able to set a time for when the system will alert them of when it is the end of the day Breaks User shall be able to ignore a break if non compulsory Table 15 Prototype 1 1 4 5 3 Prototype 1 2 The next prototype is again building on the foundations laid by the previous two versions Details of the new features are listed below in Table 16 Functionality System shall be able to tell the user how intensely they are working This will be calculated by how many keys have been p
43. 1 3 3 2 Hardware Interfaces s oienrneetexuqpeeiieii qd bnDRM RE SERM GITE OR URGERE UH m KENN 42 3 3 3 en le 42 3 3 4 Design Constralnts eter enean ere pe eo aeree ap e denn enean ey ana ye neg inisa 42 EE 42 3 3 6 Memory Reouirementzs nennen enne nnn enne enne 42 3 3 7 Packaging Regulretments s eege enee 42 3 3 8 Legal Requirements ene deeoeeue ton ko nantes or reta annue depu Rv sa usua teteng 42 3 3 9 Regulatory Requirements eios erra d ren R oc epEbr Dxpi va Sep ne bpo Ru Drs AR Urb KORR UG 42 3 4 Software System Et D 43 34 1 npe I 43 EE Mr Ee le P m 43 eee Ce Aries op SE SCEIIdgym te 43 3 4 4 Een Ee UE 43 3 4 5 POR ele 43 Segen e MR RT TIT 43 34 7 ACCESSING C 43 3 0 8 Learna bility E 43 3 4 9 de e El TE 43 Chapter 4 Design and Implementation Decisions ccceceesseceeeeseeeeceeeteeeeesseaaeeeeees 44 4 1 Application RE 44 4 2 Development Language cccssssscccesssssccessssescesssssnsessesssccessseeseteessaeseceesanee 44 E Oe 45 4 3 1 Chosen Architecture cceeccsescesssceessecesssneecsseeesseeessaceeesaeeeesaeeeesaeeeeaees 45 LN Mirum 46 4 3 3 System Components Interaction ccccceeeeeeececececececececececececeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 46 AA Security eer E er ee P ER cance err EE ERES 47 4 5 System PrOLOCOLS ise totos tene bimdiad ekscKicnh Cessna dul iskn Zeie
44. 1 4 The Benefit of Intervention Research carried out in the US discovered that for every dollar that was invested into RSI prevention techniques in the workplace through the mediums of ergonomic improvements to the workers workstation there was a return to the employer of 17 80 5 Organisations that have already developed and put into place such strategies have found that RSI symptoms were three times less likely to occur 6 and as a result benefited through their employee s loss of work Not only are such strategies of benefit to the employer research has shown that employees feel more Aries op respected and appreciated resulting in increased skill development and job satisfaction 7 1 5 The Challenge In order to fulfil these goals and create a system that users would find most beneficial and not a hindrance had to research the pros and cons from existing systems in the market and look for the best technical solutions to potential problems 1 6 Primary Goals for the System In order to combat RSI the proposed system would need to offer similar functions and fulfil the following key issues 1 6 1 Breaks The system will present the users with a window after a predetermined period of time displaying a series of RSI prevention stretches These breaks will last for 5 minutes 1 6 2 MircoBreaks The system will lock the users screen for a few seconds Research shows that taking your hands off the mouse or keyboard
45. 1998 by CTD News in the U S a common office RSI such carpal tunnel syndrome averaged at a cost of 1 918 per case in 1997 However this does not include surgery or rehabilitation as the national average is more than 12 000 per hand The average lifetime cost of carpal tunnel syndrome endured by employees including medical bills and lost time from work is estimated to be about 30 000 for each injured worker Although surgery may seem to be an attractive option easy option to some it is certainly not the most effective one The numbers certainly go against those of the surgical techniques discussed above with the cost of both the diagnosis and surgery being very high Non surgical techniques should be considered and explored more rigorously before CES Aries op resorting to surgery which can only be considered as a last resort The best and most effective way of fighting RSI is to try and prevent it in the first place Aries op Appendix E Architecture Research Contents Technical PPS ANS ET 2 ER N H Application Architecture cue dum Ao tte D Up CURE EI anu d te Lotes o Ls Uc MU I dp CER aE 2 Enterprise EENEG uisa sen aai MXN M d MR be es Kidd 3 1 Architecture Research It was important to consider all the various types of architecture that the IASA Glossary lists before deciding upon the correct one for this system IASA architecture types e Application e Performance e Business e Security e Data e Soft
46. 47 4 5 L Prototype 1 0 uice nee cire etr a p rene Lee e Ye AE Tae rk Re ds 47 4 5 2 Prototype ME ME 48 4 5 3 Prototype 1 2 esee eben e EE ap TED ER EY EPA EE UTR YT uda Reie 48 4 5 4 Prototype 2 0 E 49 4 5 5 Prototype EE 49 4 5 6 Prototype 3 0 cec ener P ERR Pa EX ENEE EU RR TAEAO 49 4 6 UML Sequence Diagram 50 4 7 User Interface Design urisini a aa iE 50 ATL Stretches E 52 4 7 2 Abut SC E MM 55 2 7 3 HEIP SEM E 55 2 7 Posture Guide E 56 RE 57 2 7 6 RE le EE 57 4 7 7 Navigation ce ceeceeeececececececececececececececececececececececececececececececececeeeceeeeeeeeeeees 57 4 8 Proposed Database Design duse HER MERO id esis deeg See 57 4 8 1 Database un Pm 58 ARLETTE 58 Chapter 5 Development and Implementation of Core Components sssssssssssseesseee 59 Aries op e e E 59 5 2 Integrating C Wit Ns EN 61 5 2 1 Define a Native IMs ao de cada degen bie 61 5 2 2 Load the Library EE 61 5 2 3 Create the Main Program EE 62 5 2 4 Create a stubs file cas avsnacevoureraaiahanigenedeqndazaronna aniaaseliatiedeanaivanngHesmseetan 63 5 2 5 Writing the Native Method Implementation 63 5 2 6 Creating a shared DBEFBSG EE 63 5 2 6 Running the proBESlYi E 63 5 2 7 Problermis difficull6s ee EE ee Eege Ces Eet 63 5d EE 64 5 3 1 Solution to stopping a thread eccesececsssseeeeecseneeeeeesseeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeees 64 5 4 Displaying all the stretches in categories ccsssseecssssee
47. 57 Table 19 Interface Testing Results auem tete Ucet Pere Ee neu Re eigen Dong ome pais 69 Table 20 Known GUI Tee iioi atenta ene PE SUR HE ERA SIE Mae RDe ated EE ue 77 Table 21 KO Wii Be T 77 Aries op Glossary of Terms C Programming Language invented in 1971 which forms the basis of many modern programming languages C Object oriented C CTS Carpal Tunnel Syndrome CVS Computer Vision Syndrome FAQ Frequently Asked Questions GUI Graphical User Interface IDE Integrated Development Environment provides complete set of tools for programming IASA The International Association of Software Architects Java Object orientated programming language developed by Sun Microsystems Keylogger A virus that listens to the properties of the keys the user presses before passing the information onto a third party This is a form of getting sensitive information such as passwords JVM Java Virtual Machine JXGrabKey A Java native implementation UNI library for easy use of global X11 hotkeys on Linux from java It was inspired by the JIntellitype project JXGrabKey was originally created as a subproject of Coopnet Linux Open Source Operating System Mozilla Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended Firefox from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation OOS Occupational Overuse Syndrome OS Operatin
48. 6 on Windows see http www java com en download help windows manual download xml and follow the instructions Further Questions For any further information about installing Java SE 6 please see http www java com en download help index installing xml and choose which platform it is that you are running from the drop down menu located in the top right Aries ep Appendix D RSI Physical solutions Techniques and Surgery 1 Breaks The majority of professionals and experts in the field of ergonomics and RSI agree that taking breaks during typing is vital technique for preventing and recovering from RSI Below is a brief overview of the three sorts of breaks that users should participate in e Eye breaks The constant use of computers means that the user is focusing on screen for a long time this causes the user to blink less often which in turn exposes the eye to air for a longer period of time This can result in changes of how the eye usually functions In order to prevent this from occurring it is recommended that every 15 minutes the user should look away from their screen and focus on a distant object more than 20 feet away for a period of time ranging from 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on their eye strain To prevent eye dryness which aides strain it is recommended that the user blink their eyes rapidly for 10 seconds every 30 minutes This effectively clears dust from the surface of the eye and refreshes the eye s te
49. AsStream Logic EventHook libhook so always write to different location File fileOut new File System getProperty java io tmpdir Logic EventHook libhook so TM CC Aries op java io OutputStream out FileUtils openOutputStream fileOut IOUtils copy in out in close out close System load fileOut toString catch Exception e 5 3 Threads Java was conceived from the start to be a language that would support multi threaded programming Threads are a first class object and the synchronised keyword was provided to assist in co ordinating threads However as Java was one of the first to support multiple threads and incorporate them into its design this meant that the designers did not get its prefect on their first attempt As the system deals with many threads throughout its workings from progress bars and breaks to listeners this was an important issue to address Java s shortcomings are highlighted in their failed attempts to provide a safe and effective way of stopping a thread once it had started The original java lang Thread class included the methods start stop stop Throwable and suspend destroy and resume which were conceived to provide the foundations for the basic functionality for starting and stopping a thread Out of all these methods only the start method remains and has not been deprecated Stopping threads is not the only problems facing
50. Cully et al 1999 8 Website 2010 Global Web Stats Online Available at http www w3counter com globalstats ph 9 Website 2010 Mozilla Add ons Online Available at https addons mozilla org en US firefox 10 Website 2008 RSI Solutions Online Available at http www rsi solutions co uk 11 Office of Communications and Public Liaison 2002 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet NINDS Online Available at http www ninds nih gov disorders carpal tunnel detail carpal tunnel htm 12 Website 2009 Tendonitis and Tenosynovitis Online Available at http www patient co uk showdoc 23069141 13 NetDoctor 2007 What is De Quervain s syndrome Online Available at http www netdoctor co uk ate musclesjoints 203187 html 14 BSSH 2008 De Quervain s syndrome Online Available at http www bssh ac uk patients commonhandconditions dequervainssyndrome 15 Editor 2008 Thoracic Outlet Syndrome TOS Online Available at http www medicinenet com thoracic outlet syndrome article htm 16 BSSH 2008 Trigger finger thumb Online Available at http www bssh ac uk patients commonhandconditions triggerdigits 17 Unknown 2008 Intersection syndrome Online Available at http en wikipedia org wiki Intersection syndrome 18 Website 2009 Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome RSDS Online Available at http www medicinenet com reflex_ sympathetic dystrophy syndrome article htm 19 Kadmi 2010
51. Keylogger virus it was decided early on in proceedings that the system would not record individual key properties A Keylogger works by recording all the keys pressed by the user during a session and as a result private data such as passwords and credit card numbers can be retrieved and sent to the intruder for him to exploit at will Likewise the program may look to steal product keys allowing the intruder to steal accounts and virtual data 4 5 System Protocols The goal for the first prototype of the system was to keep it as simple as possible and have just the core requirements implemented functioning and tested The first version of the system should support the following functionality 4 5 1 Prototype 1 0 Details for prototype 1 0 are show below in Table 14 Listeners System shall be able to tell the user how many keys that have been pressed during the present session System shall be able to tell the user how far the cursor have travelled in centimetres Stretches System shall be able to allow the user to see stretches at any time These stretches will cover areas such as Legs Back Neck Hands and Eyes Breaks 7 Aries op User shall be able to set the duration between rest breaks 2 6 10 minutes The system will show breaks according to these settings Basic Functionality User shall be able to exit the system at anytime User shall be able to see information about how
52. RSDS is currently classified as a variant of causalgia rather than being caused by trauma 18 After any of these conditions have been diagnosed a trained physician usually prescribes a specific therapy designed for that condition However in most situations these therapies have little or no effect The best cure still is prevention 1 3 Motivation During an industrial placement in a professional environment became aware of the potential threat of RSI Several members in the Information Technology division suffered from one or more syndromes that are associated with RSI In this new age of technology computers have been become deeper and more firmly entrenched within our society With roughly five hundred million computers in the world and with numbers of users reaching close to one billion the computer has influenced and brought about a change in lifestyle to our lives and as a by product RSI is becoming an increasingly real threat to the future generations In the light of this it is my goal to design and implement a system that will help educate users of RSI whilst preventing the condition from occurring in the first instance Results gathered from consumer research have highlighted the issue of lack of education on the issue of RSI as being rife amongst younger users Although my system s primary aims are to help prevent and reduce the affects of RSI its secondary goal is to educate and inform users on the very real threat of RSI
53. Stuffy poor ventilated rooms are the cause of headaches To prevent RSI it is important that your working environment is comfortable 6 Noise Loud and unnecessary noise can cause stress which in turn causes muscles to tense which increases the risk of RSI Your working environment should be quiet or have low levels of background noise 7 Mouse Techniques The first and most effective technique to lessen mouse strain is to try and avoid the mouse whenever possible Nearly all tasks can be done using the keyboard instead of the mouse and the keyboard allows you to distribute the necessary workload over both hands Using hotkeys and key commands not only lessens your muscle workload but improves your efficiency too The following techniques significantly lessen the strain when using a mouse e Avoid resting your wrist and forearms when moving the mouse e Move the mouse from your shoulder not from your wrist see fig 6 0 1 Rare zone 26 in 765 cm Ai Occasional zone 10 20 in 25 50 cm Usual zone up to 10 in 25cm Figure 6 0 1 Correct Mouse Action e Keep a straight line from your forearm through the mouse illustrated in fig 6 0 2 e Avoid gripping the mouse tightly pinching the mouse instead hold the mouse gently with all your fingers e Avoid lifting your smallest finger when using the mouse e Click the mouse buttons gently and patiently S RIGHT RIGHT Figure 6
54. The user clicks on the RestBreak button from the File pull down menu Extensions a The user may choose to ignore the RestBreak i User clicks on the ignore button ii User clicks on the cross at the top of the window b The user may wish to see an alternative Stretch User clicks the another stretch button c At any time the user wants to exit the application User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements Stays at the forefront of the screen forcing the user to acknowledge it Table 8 Rest Break Use Case The Use Case for parsing and reading the XML from file is shown here in Table 9 Reads Stretches from XML Use Case Name Read XML Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor None Stakeholder amp Interests User All the stretches are read correctly from XML file and can be displayed Preconditions Application is open The XML file exists where the stretch information is held ao Aries op The XML file is complete with the correct nodes and information Success Guarantee All the stretches are displayed sorted by the area of the body that they benefit Main Success Scenarios 1 All the stretches are
55. a result was not fully compatible with all the Linux environments This meant that a rethink was needed and several possible solutions presented themselves The first problem that presented itself was a simple privileges problem Due to the fact that the system was being implemented at University this meant that as the developer had limited system privileges This meant that could not install any additional programs onto my system or gain access to the kernel that is needed to listen to user events The event listener would need to sit between the kernel and T EE Aries op the security level and listen to the user s actions A possible solution to this was to get the technician to install Qemu on my system Qemu would allow me to run a virtual machine on my system which I could have full control of This again however was a rather impractical solution to the problem as it would require both the technician to install it and an additional twenty gigabytes of storage for my system as Qemu is effectively a big file on the system After further research it was discovered that writing a system hook and key listener on the windows environment is much easier than writing it for the Linux or Macintosh environment This is due to the low level security protocols of the differing systems with both Mac and Linux being based on the UNIX kernel A specific search on the internet will present several possible implementations for keylisteners on Windows
56. ak Screen 55 Figure 21 Anes EE 55 Figure 22 Arles Help Screens sese ege 56 Figure 23 Aries Posture Guide ee EE eds aider Rie M beet e ia ed eu bien Bios 56 Figure 24 Database EER diagram eese eee eeeee esee e enne eene nennen hannah aen nae 58 Figure 25 Event Listener Hook writtenint rennen 60 Aries op Table of Tables Table 1 Functional Requirements Table 33 Table 2 System Monitor Use Case EE 35 Table 3 System Timer Use Case usur eene euer dea seddectaandaavtcscnuvcueantsaveessasavvenetacs 36 Table 4 Posture Guide Use Case ueniet pr gebiede DNUE 37 Table 5 MieroBreak Use Case eoi eterna ternas ene Hd ee Ka a Redes axe nuUa bx ra ENEE 37 Table 6 Rest Break Use Case eei tristis red ue earnest eue kiere ra ER eim 38 Table 7 Read XML Use Cases iicscccsigetediesausedenincs ccorsuacncnaeaautecsadiedecdduiddccadaaceoonscnacivneaaas 39 Table 8 Display All Stretches Use Case 39 Table 9 Schedule Break Use Case 40 Table 10 Display User Actions Use Case 41 Table 11 Comparison of Object Oriented Programming Languages 45 Table 12 Prototype 1 0 ied 48 Table 13 Prototype Ma D 48 Table 14 Prototype L2 oncrcniioserissiiriiiii nan nai NAET AEE 48 Table 15 Prototype E 49 Table 16 Prototype EE 49 Table 17 Prototype 9 0 E 49 Table 18 Window Dimensions aco careret eri pep eter ema ipae esa diets doen exa somu pa iua d s
57. any project and with Aries this was no exception Throughout the entire development process Aries has been tested thoroughly to ensure that it fulfils its requirements robustly and reliably 6 1 Incremental Testing Once the basic foundations of the system had been laid out and thoroughly tested additional features were added to the system Once a new feature had been added the system was again thoroughly tested by both myself and a third party These tests were vigorous and adhered to a detailed test plan covering both the new features and the existing features ensuring that they interact properly and that no regression has been introduced into the system This form of testing guaranteed that any bugs in the system were discovered as early in the development of the system as possible ensuring that there was adequate time to address any issues that may have arisen Many bugs were found using this process and were subsequently corrected However a few bugs remain in the system See Section 7 7 3 6 2 User Interface Testing The graphical user interface on the Aries system was strenuously tested to ensure that all buttons did what they were supposed to and that under normal circumstances the user would not be able to crash the system through interaction Many of Aries commands were implemented using Actions as a result of this many only need to be tested once as they are instances of the same class An example of this is the Rest Break me
58. ar film e Micro breaks The observation of typists has revealed that typing is not a continuous task but instead occurs in short bursts Whilst typing it is important to break up the monotonous repetitiveness of the activity by taking a brief break during these bursts of activity A micro break is a break designed to interrupt the repetitive nature of your activities rather than prevent them In the prevention of RSI these micro breaks are of vital importance e Rest breaks In order to help prevent RSI breaks should be taken every 60 90 minutes During these breaks it is recommended that the user gets up and moves around This can be achieved by getting a glass of water or a coffee for example Doing small exercises during these breaks is also recommended in order to relieve any muscle fatigue Just by changing what it is that the user is doing will allow other muscles to function and this will relieve fatigue and aid in stamina For users that already experience RSI related pains it is important that the get the duration between the breaks correct It is generally accepted that the period of time between breaks in this case is the time it takes till you start to experience discomfort minus 10 minutes 2 Ergonomics One of the biggest contributing factors to the development of RSI is bad static posture Bad posture combined with spending long periods of time with your arms flexed and without taking appropriate breaks can lead to incre
59. architectures that are defined within a system It is arguably a more general term than system architecture 1 3 System Architecture System architecture refers to the way in which the desired functionality is fulfilled by hardware and software components as well as how these components interact with one another and the intended users of the system Several different business functions can be encompassed under the term of system architecture Heterogeneity System Hardware Application 1 Application N Legacy ntegration Integratio Systems Figure 74 System Architecture The system architecture naturally focuses upon the system wide designs decisions and similarities as it deals with the system as a whole Although it needs to consider the implications of such decisions for individual functions it may not resolve them fully within each and wait till the application architecture which relates to each function and where the issue can be better addressed 1 4 Application Architecture Application architecture is the subset of system architecture The business function often determines the scope of the application architecture unlike in the systems architecture Aries ep Function Design Patterns Application Software Figure 75 Application Architecture It is typical for the application architecture to be defined to a lower level than that of the system architecture This is mainly due to the fact that it needs
60. ased static loading across many muscles throughout your body These muscles can then become shorter in length and denser over time resulting in impeded blood circulation in the shoulders neck and arms Aries ep RSI can occur long before you will feel and physical discomfort The first signs of RSI in which you feel pain can become visible up to four to five years before you may experience any debilitating hand pain The symptoms to look out for are any back pains shoulder pains and or neck aches that many experience on a regular basis whilst using your computer These pains can lead to a tethering of the nerves within the areas of discomfort After several years of performing this activity this tensed state becomes the default state and RSI ensues However by correcting the ergonomics of your work practise taking appropriate breaks and performing correct stretches one can prevent and recover from RSI Workstation ergonomics ideal set up Top of monitor at eye level or just below Monitor roughly arm s length Back straight Elbows close to body Backrest supporting lower back Adjustable SE swivel chair Front of seat not pressing Feet flat on ground on back of knees or resting on footrest Figure 1 0 1 Ideal Ergonomic Workstation Set up 3 Posture A constant source in the development of RSI s is that of poor posture The natural muscular balance of your body is disrupted by p
61. button Figure 11 UML Sequence Diagram illustrating the basic interactions between the user and the system 4 7 User Interface Design When initially designing the Graphical User Interface GUI research into existing systems offering similar services was carried It soon became clear on researching systems that were similar to mine that they all stuck to a similar GUI design and it was decided that my system would follow this trend It was thought that such a decision would help increase user acceptance as usability is a vital aspect of a product such as this one where its whole objective is to decrease stress and RSI The main GUI was designed to take the best aspects from existing systems The systems used for this process were RSI Warrior Figure 12 and Workpace Figure 13 1 Ame Back Eyes Legs Neck Arm Across Chest Overview This will stretch out your shoulders upper See aims and upper back and improve your d Application Analysis posture whilst you work on your computer Za Keyboard Analysis TS Mouse Analysis WR Historical Analysis Arm Massage This will massage your arms By loosening Stretches these muscles your blood flow will improve and help flush out the toxins released when we Browse typing D gt Random stretch ig Remind Posture Backwards Lean This exercise helps stretch the back muscles When you sit your posture tends to hunch 3 Application due to gravity By stretching your back you 3 Stra
62. d not exceed that of a standard computer manufactured in 2006 onwards This typically is of 512MB RAM and more This is to ensure that the system will be able to run on as wide a consumer base as possible 3 3 7 Packaging Requirements The software will be submitted as a zip file consisting of all the source code and precompiled binaries An auto generated installation script may also be provided depending on time constraints 3 3 8 Legal Requirements The software must comply with the Data Protection Act of 1998 in order to protect the user s privacy Care must be taken to adhere to the copyright restrictions on third party components used throughout the development of my system 3 3 9 Regulatory Requirements Throughout the design and implementation as well as when the completed system is running the uppermost care must be taken in order to adhere to the University s guidelines regarding to cheating and plagiarism Aries op 3 4 Software System Attributes 3 4 1 Reliability My program must be both reliable and robust in order for it to be a successful piece of software that can be taken on board by both companies and individuals 3 4 2 Availability My system will be widely available for both commercial and personal use 3 4 3 Security It is of vital importance that my system is secure and is not at risk of an attack that could jeopardise the user 3 4 4 Maintainability Throughout the making of my system adherence
63. detailing primary functionalities The definition of the Use Case for the system monitoring the user s activities during the session is detailed here in Table 4 Use Case Name Monitor User Activity Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor None Stakeholder amp Interests User Must not notice a drain or reduction in systems performance Must not be distracted from their usual work Differentiate between mouse clicks and key presses Be able to see statistics on their computer use such as Overall computer usage total number of mouse click total number of keys pressed and the total distance that the mouse cursor has travelled in centimetres The system must not throw any errors whilst performing the monitoring Preconditions Application is open or Aries op The system has the ability to listen to the users actions The users work consists of the use of peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard Success Guarantee The system listens to the users actions by counting the number of mouse clicks the number of key presses and the distance the mouse has travelled Main Success Scenarios 1 User opens the Aries Application 2 User Events such as key presses and mouse clicks are displayed in the system s Usage tab Extensions a If the system is cannot listen to the users activities i Appropriate error messa
64. e A20 Aries op Appendix B Aries Maintenance Manual Contents 1 Requirements and Dependencies EE 2 2 Building A 2 socle E r 2 A Source E EE 3 AeA BIOS GU Y CO 3 4 2 AMOS LOBIC 3 E ENER e e 4 4 3 Stretches E 4 De OOUEdrc 4 6 Instructions for possible forms of Maintenance 5 b T Add S mew Sete E 5 6 2 Add another Scheduled Break Screen 5 Aries op 1 Requirements and Dependencies The Aries application requires Description Required Notes Operating System Any supporting Java SE 6 Please note that the Aries Runtime system version 1 0 will only be able to monitor the user on the Linux environment Version 1 2 will extend this functionality to other OS s like Windows Hard Disk Space 4MB Memory 256MB Java Version 6 SE Or above See Appendix C to install Packages Libhook The Libhook library is commons bundled in the EventHook folder within the Logic folder The commons library is stored in the dist folder Additional Requirements XML file containing all the Bundled with the Aries system s stretches application Table 25 Aries Requirements and Dependencies 2 Building All the source code is provided in the src subfolder within the Aries folder in the arc
65. e File pull down menu User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements None Table 11 Schedule Break Use Case The Use Case for the system displaying the user s activities during the session is shown here in Table 12 Use Case Name Display User Actions Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor User M Aries op Stakeholder amp Interests User Clear and logical layout Whole numbers clearly expressing what a number A sensible scale for distance Preconditions The Application is open The monitor use class functions properly Success Guarantee Statistics about the user s activities are clearly shown Main Success Scenarios 1 The user opens the Aries Application 2 Clicks on the Actions tab 3 The users actions should be clearly shown Extensions c At any time the user wants to exit the application i User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu ii User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements None Table 12 Display User Actions Use Case 3 1 3 General Constraints The main constraint for my system is that of time If I had more time to actually focus on the desi
66. e click on the Save Settings button shown in Figure 35 These new settings will take place once the current break time has passed this can be found under the Usage tab and is shown in Figure 52 Aries default is strictness setting is 1 so will encounter Rest Breaks every 6 66 minutes until you have saved your new settings 2 5 Rest Breaks Aries Rest Breaks consist of a RSI preventing stretch along with a description of what areas the stretch benefits and how to perform the stretch shown in Figure 43 These stretches appear at predetermined intervals highlighted above in section 2 4 You can however view such a break at anytime 1 Left click on the Stretches Pop Up button shown below in Figure 39 on Aries Interface 12 02 25 Windows Aries Save Settings Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Figure 39 Stretches Pop Up Button A7 Aries op Another way to take a Rest break is to select it from the File menu Alternative 1 Left click on the File menu located at the top left of the window and shown in Figure 40 below Aries File About Figure 40 File Menu Button A drop down menu will appear as shown in Figure 41 V Posture Guide Ctri P MicroBreak Ctrl M aa age Rest Break Ctri R Quit Alt Q Lunch End of Day Figure 41 File Menu 2 Left click on the Rest Break Button shown in Figure 42
67. e 53 below A11 Aries op Progress Bar illustrating the time till the next Rest Break Aries IES File About 11 57 09 Y Actions DP save 3 settings e 1 Windows aa Time till next Break Overall Computer usage Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Current Work Intensity 1 The total time the user has being using Aries for during this session Figure 53 Aries Usage Tab 2 9 Stretches The Stretches tab is the fourth of the tabs on Aries Graphical User Interface shown here is Figure 54 Scroll bar allows you to browse through stretches Tabs allow you to browse stretches by the area they benefit benefiting that area File About 11 56 15 L p Y 7A F KL It Settings Stretches a Windows Lae Sars ee ay E ARSA M NAME Hip Stretch reposition the lower back Place one leg over opposite thigh hands on ankle and knee Slowly lean forward until you feel a comfortable stretch Hold for 10 seconds Repeat on other leg a DESCRIPTION This stretch stretches the lower back muscles and helps le L Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Current Work Intensity 1 e le Textual information on the stretches comprising of its name description and image location Figure 54 Aries Stretches Tab You can browse the stretches by which area of the body that you aim to help protect from RSI 1 Left click o
68. e 6 0 3 De Quervain s Tenosynovitis Aries op De Quervain s Tenosynovitis Inflammed tendon sheath covering Thenar Snuffbox Figure 6 0 4 De Quervain s Tenosynovitis 8 Typing Techniques Being able to correctly use a keyboard is of vital importance in the war against RSI If you are not using your keyboard correctly whilst typing then your incorrect typing techniques can lead to and worsen RSI Your wrists should be straight as shown below in Fig 7 0 1 RIGHT Figure 7 0 1 Correct Typing Posture 8 1 DVORAK Layout If you suffer from RSI whilst typing then it may be a good idea to switch to a DVORAK keyboard layout as it relieves the hand action during typing It may come as a shock to you that the more common QWERTY layout was specifically designed to be most inefficient and to maximize hand movements The reasoning behind this was that older typewriters used to get jammed by touch typists Regrettably this convention has continued into the modern information age Fortunately during the 1920s and 30s two Doctors Dr August Dvorak and Dr William Dealey designed an alternative layout to minimize hand movements and improve efficiency This can design is shown below in Fig 7 1 1 Figure 7 1 1 DVORAK Keyboard Layout Dvorak and Dealey studied letter frequencies and the physiology of the hand and created the layout to adhere to these principles e It is easier to type letters alternating between
69. e time The progress bars will only start when ones open prior have ceased running The user however is likely to open up multiple breaks at the same time and as this only occurs when more than ten such breaks or open it is of low priority Steps to resolve Only allow the user to have one break open at a time Or increase the memory that java is allowed Low Aries op 6 Instructions for possible forms of Maintenance 6 1 Add a new stretch To add a new stretch to the system the user developer should follow the following steps Difficulty Low 1 Open the stretches xml file located inside the Aries folder 2 a Double click on the stretches xml file i Alternatively right click on the file and left click on the open with option ii Click on a suitable editing program such as Notepad Enter the following template to at the bottom of the file in between the lt stretch gt tag and the lt book gt tag Back Neck lt type gt stretch type Enter what area your stretch benefits here Leg Hands Eyes lt name gt Enter the name of your Stretch here name description Enter the Stretches instructions lt description gt URL name the stretch name gt Stretches Graphics Name of the stretch image jpg URL stretch 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Enter the areas that the stretch you adding plans to benefit out of the following
70. eToTray java Offers the ability to minimize Aries to the systems Notification Area NextBreakProgressBar java Generates the thread for when the next Rest Break should qj Aries op be SetWorklntesity java Calculates what the users work intensity DisplayScheduledBreaks java Checks to see if a scheduled break needs to be shown GetSettings java Retrieves and sets the users settings 4 2 1 Aries Logic EventHook EventHook java This class is a wrapper for the C library EventHook class Is the compiled version of the EventHook java class Logic_EventHook_EventHook c C code that listens to the users actions Logic_EventHook_EventHook h Header for class Logic_EventHook_EventHook machine generated libhook so Library that allows the C code to be intergraded into Java 4 3 Stretches Text BreakProgressBar Handles the progress bar on the Rest Break DisplayAStretch Handles the displaying of a Stretch on the Rest Break DisplayAllStretches Displays all the stretches in the GUI Stretches tab ReadAndPrintXMLFile Parses the XML file and reads the Stretches Stretches Used to return values for the parser 5 Known Bugs Bug Description Priority Progress bars on Rest Breaks and MicroBreaks The progress bars on these screens delay their starting if the user has opened lots of breaks at the sam
71. ease Aries as a beta product to get further and extensive testing of the system in the public domain Feedback could then be used to help improve the system and increase both its robustness and reliability The Aries project has been a worthwhile undertaking in my opinion and has increased both my knowledge and awareness of the potential threats of RSI If developed further feel that this product could both help and educate computer users worldwide The future for Aries development would be the transition to either an Open Source project which would be freely available to use aimed at personal users or as a marketable product aimed at companies Aries op References 1 RSlAwareness 2007 What are musculo skeletal disorders Article Online Available at http www rsi org uk Accessed 4 3 2010 2 Daily Mail Reporter 2008 Two thirds of office staff suffer from repetitive strain injury Article Online Available at http www dailymail co uk health article 1024097 Two thirds office staff suffer Repetitive Strain Injury html Accessed 6 3 2010 3 Unknown Britain at work Website Online Available at http www tuc org uk Accessed 6 3 2010 4 Buckle and Devereux 1999 European Institute of Health and Medical Sciences University of Surrey 5 Buckle 1999 European Institute of Health and Medical Sciences University of Surrey 6 Schneider 1998 Unknown Online Available at http www rsi org uk 7 Mark
72. eceesseeceessteeeessseneess 65 Chapter 6 Testing CE 67 b T Incremental eege 67 6 2 User Interface Testing Ie nasisisi ak inikan 67 GE EI RE 69 6 4 User Testen deeg ndtien aie tidiela item adie ea adele 70 Goth ET 70 6 5 Breaky Thread Testibgi o cssueasaso eas be REPE eut 73 6 6 Cross Platform MEN TEE 73 Chapter 7 Evaluation amp Future Work eere entree three nen then aerae tuna nado 75 7 1 Realisation of Primary E CG 75 7 2 Realisation of Secondary Goals e erret aaa ete RR IDe Ra ER eR au ke eM ERE 75 7 3 Evaluation of Completed W OPK seeds creveseisercnnansannedaccauiesnnpennernmiasuvendeenubiadiarsesadiian 75 7 3 1 Improvements to core functionality EN 75 7 3 2 GUI lee VC EC 76 7 3 3 KNOWN EE 77 TA Future WOER E 78 Chapter S COMI AS EE 79 GU T NM CC 80 Appendix A Aries User Manual petere hopes t neta nonae re PAR UOS FE SEU EE HERO UE Ri A1 el Elle A2 EN BEE E A2 2 Th Aries E A2 RE E Aries op 2 1 Post re GUIGE Pep A2 2 2 IIEXOVI RUIT A4 2 3 Setting the times for the scheduled breaks A4 2 4 Set the Strictness of the Aries system EN A6 2 5 Rest BIeBRSL E A7 Eege gegangen egent ptas din n laesum Een PM EU A9 df ACUONS M M A11 DESSELCIIT EE A11 PACENTI Ij D A12 FIR VI ege T v n A13 MM socer EE A13 2 12 RSI Frequently Asked Questions s sssesssesessseessressssrrtrsssrrtsteteensssreenssrn
73. ecified in the Required for Prototype column The Dependencies column highlights and pre conditions that the requirement may have in other words what requires need to be fulfilled prior to the current requirement being able to be implemented U User Sys System No ACTOR REQUIREMENT DESCRIPTION DEPENDENCIES REQUIRED FOR PROTOTYPE 10 Sys System shall be able to tell the user how many keys that have been pressed during the present session 1 15 Sys System shall be able to tell the user how far the cursor have travelled in centimetres 20 Sys System shall be able to allow the user to see stretches at any time These stretches will cover areas such as Legs Back Neck Hands and Eyes 30 User shall be able to exit the system at anytime 40 User shall be able to see information about how to use the system at anytime This will be in the form of a help screen 45 The user shall be able to see information about the system An About screen for displaying why the program was made 50 User shall be able to set the duration of the main breaks 2 6 10 minutes 55 User shall be able to set the duration of the micro breaks 5 15 25 seconds 60 System shall be able to tell the user how intensely they are RE CC Aries op working This will be calculated by how many keys have been pressed during a time
74. ed M CS Aries op 5 Current solutions to RSI Ask the participants whether they currently use any solutions to RSI Query whether these are hardware solutions such as wrist pads or whether they are software solutions such as the proposed system Aries Establish which methods are most popular and whether they work or not Discuss the merits and flaws of any systems mentioned 6 Aries Introduce the group to the concept of Aries Ask them whether they think they would benefit from such a system Explain Aries preliminary features and gather their thoughts on these proposed features Ask whether they feel any features are currently missing that could be helpful 7 Closure of session Ask the group if they have any additional thoughts or suggestions Give a brief overview of the group results Thank everyone for their time and adjourn the meeting Aries op Appendix G Focus Group Questions Group Hampton Associates Web Development Team 1 General RSI Related Questions Q1 Do you know what RSI is The group know what RSI was as they work with computers all the time Q2 Have any of you ever experienced any problems relating to RSI One member of the team suffered from a sore pinkie small finger on his left hand due to constant pressing of the shift key This may be due to the lack of a properly ergonomic keyboard One of the members of the team had had RSI related problems but though other activit
75. ed by clicking on the About Menu A13 Aries ep 1 Left click on the About Menu highlighted in Figure 57 below Figure 57 About Menu The following drop down menu will appear shown here in Figure 58 Q Help Ctrl H e RSI FAQ cuo Q About Ctrl A Figure 58 About Menu drop down 2 Left click on the About Menu item shown below in Figure 59 GA Help Ctrl H e RSI FAQ ct a Figure 59 Highlighted About Menu Item You can also access the About screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control A to display the About screen The About Screen will then appear This screen is shown here in Figure 60 A14 Aries About Screen RSI Prevent RSI Prevent is Software designed and developed to help reduce RSI in the workplace his system was designed and implemented by Peter Kindness In the Java langauge as part of his 4th Year Computing Honours Project at Aberdeen University Figure 60 Aries About Screen j To close the About screen 1 Left click on the Close button located at the bottom right of the window and highlighted in Figure 61 Alternative 1 Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen close D Figure 61 Highlighted Close Button 2 12 RSI Frequently Asked Questions Aries s frequently asked questions screen about RSI offers you answ
76. ed databases such as JavaDB and independent databases such as Derby were explored however MySQL was chosen for the following reasons e Open Source and free e Accessible from Java e Extensive front end tools such as phpMyAdmin e Platform Independent e Run and supported by many hosting companies e Extensive support and documentation available 4 8 1 Database Schema rsiPrevent users rsip loginname varchar 32 rsip password varchar 256 rsip admin char 5 rsiPrevent_settings rsip ignore char 5 rsip_strictness char 5 rsip_monitorWindows char 5 4 8 1 EER Diagram rsip_loginname VARCHAR 32 rsip_password VARCHAR 32 rsip_admin CHAR 32 rsiPrevent_settings rsip_ignore CHAR 5 rsip_strictness CHAR 5 rsip_monitorWindows CHAR 5 Figure 24 Database EER diagram Aries op Chapter 5 Development and Implementation of Core Components This chapter discusses in more detail how the functionalities previously mentioned in the last chapter were implemented as well as outlining any deviations in the final product from that of the original design due to problems faced in the development process 5 1 Keystroke logging Keystroke logging is when a program tracks the keys struck on a keyboard most commonly in a covert manner so that the user is unaware that their actions are being monitored Due to the very nature of such a program very limited documentation is available Even thoug
77. en e The system has an auto start up function meaning it starts every time the computer has been booted e The system records the user activities e The system supports sound and has sound options for indicating the start and end of breaks CC Aries op 2 2 3 Workpace Wellnomics Workpace 21 claims to be the only scientifically validated RSI prevention software Workpace shown in figure 4 has had growing success in the commercial sector as it gets people to accept personal responsibility for their own safety This protects companies from compensation claims and high insurance costs Like my proposed system it educates computer users in practical ways to prevent computer fatigue discomfort and injury As a result of this it intends to ensure happier healthier employees meaning increased productivity 9 PP th EWE O v t vsu E Keystrokes and Mouse Clicks v IV B8 Keystrokes IV Bl Mouse Clicks 1200 1400 16 00 18 00 20 00 22 00 lt gt Figure 4 Workpace s graphical representation of user s activity D p grap Workpace looks to help the user achieve safe and healthy work habits by adhering to the following five principles e Workpace looks to educate the user about muscles fatigue and recovery from such fatigue e The system alerts the user when they need to take breaks e It aims to guide the user through regular fatigue and as a result RSI reducing exercises and stretches e
78. ers to many of the questions you may be wondering about RSI To access this screen A15 Aries op 1 Left click on the About Menu highlighted in Figure 57 A drop down menu will appear shown in Figure 58 2 Left click on the RSI FAQ Menu item highlighted in Figure 62 4 T About Ctrl A Figure 62 Highlighted RSI FAQ Menu item You can also access the RSI FAQ screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control Q to display the RSI FAQ screen The RSI FAQ Screen will then appear This screen is shown here in riure 63 Aries RSI Frequently Asked Questions Screen What is RSI RSI F A Q s Repetitive Strain Injury RSI is an umbrella term which encompasses various ps conditions related to overuse injuries of upper body limbs It can affect any one or a combination of the neck shoulder upper arms forearms wrist hands and fingers GH There many different conditions covered by the RSI name include but not limited to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome tendinitis Tennis Elbow forearm cramping tenosynovitis de Quervain s It is often caused by carrying out tasks of a repetitive nature eg computer keyboard mouse use coupled with bad posture which result in the body not unctioning in the way that it was designed to do causing damage to tendons muscles and pinching of nerves In the arms the muscles put under the most st
79. etch Sto rage DisplayAll ReadAndPrint Stretches Laye r Stretches XMLFile Colours coordinate to the package the classisin Key Blue GUI package Green Logic package Orange Stretches package Figure 10 Three Tier Architecture of System The classes in the interface layer handle all the systems GUI s and features that are presented to the user The logic layer deals with all the calculations and the holds ume Aries op the main workings of the system where as the storage layer handles the input of data from external sources such as the XML file 4 4 Security As previously discussed in section 4 3 2 user passwords would need to be hashed using the SHA 1 algorithm if they were going to be stored in a central database Hashing a password is a technical term for disguising it with the help of an algorithm which in this case is the SHA 1 algorithm The process of hashing is a one way process and it should be impossible to recover the original text once it has been hashed Therefore the process results in it being impossible for database administrators or potential hackers to retrieve passwords by viewing the database tables It is vital that my system be secure due to its nature of recording the users key stokes The system will be extensively tested and audited before it is made commercially available to ensure that malicious code cannot gain access to personal data To ensure that the system cannot be used like a
80. f computer users worldwide use the windows environment 8 The introduction of a way to save the user s settings would also greatly improve the system s core functionality This would ensure that the user would not have to set the time they want to take their breaks throughout the day every time they launch the Aries system These can be achieved in two ways Aries op 1 Store the user s details in a database outlined in the section 4 of this report 2 Store the user s details in an XML file this would offer a more portable option to that of the database The introduction of a means of storing user settings could also be expanded to allow Administrator settings for the system which would allow a company boss to set the strictness level for his whole work force Passwords and usernames could be stored in a similar way to user settings Whichever option is chosen the Aries system will need to be updated to accommodate the new functionality 7 3 2 GUI improvements Aries graphical user interface has been extensively tested and is ready for distribution Several improvements could be made to the GUI however to improve it further shown here in Table 23 7 3 2 1 Known GUI Issues Issue Description Priority RSI FAQ screen At present the RSI FAQ Low screen information on RSI text area starts with the scroll bar at the bottom rather than the top Thus meaning that the user has to scroll back up to the top
81. fter these tasks were completed asked the test subjects to take my system away and test it After a day asked the test subject if they had encountered any problems and whether the system was a hindrance or a benefit These are the issues and recommendations to be addressed in the future Table 22 Issues Raised Future Solutions Stretches Area in GUI is editable This has now been fixed More than one Posture Guide can be on the screen at once Future Solution Close the window before calling a new one More than one Rest Break can be on the screen at once Future Solution Close the window before calling a new one The Rest Break can be minimized thus the user can have several effectively ignore it Due to the fact that there is a close button anyway this is not much of an issue Although in future it may be require to enforce these breaks in order to prevent the user just ignoring them and RSI still occurring When lots of Rest Breaks are open their timers running the progress bars threads cease running until some of the older Steps to resolve Only allow the user to have one break open at a time Or increase the memory that java is allowed Aries op breaks finish their threads Table 22 Issues Raised from User Testing User Testing Conclusion Both test subjects found the system to be very easy to use and that the system was of definite benefit
82. g System QEMU A generic and open source machine emulator and virtualiser RSDS Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome RSI Repetitive Strain injury SVN Subversion a versioning control system Swing Java framework for building Graphical User Interfaces TOS Thoracic outlet syndrome UNIX Family of Operating Systems which implement the UNIX specification UNIX Kernel The core or key components of the operating system consisting of many kernel subsystems like process management memory management file management device management and network management Windows Microsoft s desktop and server Operating System XML Extensible Markup Language CC Aries op Medical Terms Term Description Causalgia Intense burning pain and sensitivity to the slightest vibration or touch usually in the hand or foot at a site some distance removed from a wound that has healed This phenomenon was first described in 1872 by the American neurologist Silas Weir Mitchell 1829 1914 DeQuervain s de Quervain s tenosynovitis is a condition that causes pain on the Syndrome inside of the wrist and forearm just above the thumb Intersection Painful condition that affects the thumb side of the forearm and Syndrome occurs where the two muscles intersect or cross over the two underlying wrist tendons Reflex A chronic condition that is characterized by severe burning pain with Sympathetic extreme sensitivity to
83. ge displayed ii User clicks ok and the system does not hang or crash b At any time the user should be able to see their work intensity level i Statistics gained from these observations will be used to determine the users work intensity level ii A MircoBreak will appear if the user s intensity level is above 3 out of 5 levels c At any time the user wants to exit the application i User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu ii User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements Must not restrict the user s normal activities Must not consume much of the CPU s processing power Table 4 System Monitor Use Case The Use Case for the systems timer is detailed in Table 5 below The Timer deals with all the time management within the system such as the system time and threads Handles the systems time Use Case Name Timer Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor None Stakeholder amp Interests User Must not notice a drain or reduction in systems performance The progress bars must function properly Preconditions Application is open The ability to get the system time Success Guarantee Aries s clock will have the same time as the system s it is running on All Aries s threads will run correctly TI Aries op
84. ghly 35 of people who underwent surgery As a result of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome a severed carpal ligament flexor retinaculum can also lead to reduced grip strength Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome CTS is the second most common type of surgery in the US with well over 230 000 procedures performed annually With more than eight million people reported affected by carpal tunnel syndrome each year Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is the second most common type of musculoskeletal surgery with back surgery being the most common According to the Bureau of Labour and Statistics and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1997 2000 Statistics only 2396 of patients who have under gone carpal tunnel syndrome have returned to their previous professions If you have an RSI besides CTS surgery tends to offer no benefits for the patients and I would not recommend it 9 5 Cost of surgery According to the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research in the U S musculoskeletal disorders are the U S s most costly category of workplace injuries and illnesses In addition to spending 20 billion annually on workers compensation costs due to RSIs the U S spends another 100 billion on lost productivity employee turnover and other indirect expenses Current estimates suggest that repetitive strain injury conditions cost the UK industry between 5 billion and 20 billion every year According to a survey conducted in
85. gn and implementation rather than the report believe could achieve all the requirements and versions 3 1 4 Assumptions and Dependencies The system should not hang and should run on systems even with low specifications The system must be compatible with most operating systems including both new and old The system is dependent upon Java being on the system 3 2 Database Requirements This system does need a database for its functionality A later version of the system could store past days statistics in a centralised database offering a record of activities that could be analysed to help prevent bad habits 3 3 Non Functional Requirements 3 3 1 User Interfaces The external users of this system are the people operating the computer on which it is installed They will be presented with the main home screen of the system when the program is launched This system is designed for just one class of user RE Ce Aries op 3 3 2 Hardware Interfaces This can be any form of computer terminal be it a desktop or a laptop 3 3 3 Software Interfaces The operating system can be any version of Windows Linux Unix or Mac that supports Java 3 3 4 Design Constraints No specific constraints exist 3 3 5 Quality Assurance The system must not hang or crash during its use The system is also expected not to cause any slowing down of the system and must not be resource hungry 3 3 6 Memory Requirements Memory requirements shoul
86. h there is a lack of documentation many malicious codes exist of this nature reassuring me that creating such code is possible However due to security concerns an early decision was made not to record any information on the keys pressed just that a key was pressed Implementing this for my system turned out to be a much more difficult than first thought In order for this to be achieved first needed to create an operating system hook which would listen to the OS and respond accordingly when a key was pressed This however needed to be done using C which is where the majority of my difficulties occurred Although my knowledge of C is limited after much research managed to write code that should in theory work However various libraries were needed in order for this to work and the following error message was appearing due to the fact that the University s C libraries were very old and outdated Error message Exception in thread main java lang UnsatisfiedLinkError home student cs cs02pk NetBeansProjects KeyListener lib libJXGrabKey so usr lib libstdc so 6 version GLIBCXX 3 4 11 not found required by home student cs cs02pk NetBeansProjects KeyListener lib libJXGrabKey so After several meetings with the university s technician and after updating the systems C compilers still no solution was present This was mainly due to the fact that the library JXGrabKey that this code needed was relatively newly released and as
87. hands e For maximum speed and efficiency the most common letters and digraphs should be the easiest to type This means that they should be where the fingers rest which is called the Home row e Likewise the least common letters should be on the bottom row which is the hardest row to reach e The right hand should do more of the typing as the majority of people are right handed e It is more difficult to type digraphs with adjacent fingers than non adjacent fingers e Stroking of the keys should generally move from the edges of the board towards the middle as an example rap your fingers on a table and see which is easier going from little finger to index or vice versa This motion on a keyboard is called inboard stroke flow Dvorak typists tend to be much faster than Qwerty typists both because of ease of typing 70 of keying is on the home row versus 32 on Qwerty and because of the reduced error rate on Dvorak due to its ergonomics but the ease in learning and typing is its greatest advantage According to people who suffer from RSI the DVORAK layout really does offer a benefit as it evenly distributes the typing load between both hands and helps to reduce the overall typing action Although this is not a cure to RSI by switching to a DVORAK keyboard layout is just another good way to help aid the recovery of RSI This method must be combined with other forms of therapies 9 Surgery In extreme cases RSI can lead to
88. he Posture Guide button on the main GUI Time A few seconds Outcome Success Task 5 Quit the system Subject 1 Clicked on the cross at the top right of the GUI Time A few seconds Outcome Failure Once pointed out that the system was still running They noticed it s icon in the systems notification area and right clicked on it and left clicked on the Exit option in the popup menu New Outcome Success Subject2 Clicked on the File menu and then clicked on the Quit menu item Time A few seconds Outcome Success The new series of tests are designed to see how the user and the system interact with the users working with the system monitoring them in the background me Aries op Task 6 Check your emails and then compose an email of roughly 500 words Subject1 Did the task asked Time Several minutes under 10minutes Outcome Nothing happened success Subject2 Did the task asked Time 15 minutes Outcome Rest Break appeared after 10 minutes success Task 7 Open a text editor and try type till a Micro Break appears Subject1 Did the task asked Time 5 minutes Outcome Micro Break appeared Subject2 Did the task asked Time 10 minutes Outcome Micro Break appeared Additional notes from users on this task Maybe set the intensity level of 3 to being a bit less as this is when the Micro Break appears because the level of activity needed to be quite extensive in order to reach this level A
89. he main GUI was carried out in order to discover the best layout for the breaks to consist of There are many existing systems that offer such breaks Some of these are detailed below 4 7 1 1 Rest Break RSI Warrior offers as part of its system a stretch player This consists of an animated woman performing the stretches written instructions and spoken instructions This results in the user knowing exactly what it is they need to fulfil in order to be doing the stretch properly A screen shot of the stretch player can be found in Figure 15 below RSI Warrior 3 0 Stretch Player Instructions Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hands on lower back Looking straight ahead slowly lean back keeping legs straight Press play to start stretch e aan Figure 15 RSI Warrior Stretch Player Workpace is another system that offers RSI preventing stretches Similar to my system Workpace presents the user with a graphic of a stretch and text describing the aim of the stretch as well as its starting position and method Workpace also allows the user to pause a stretch or to cancel the stretch altogether Workpace s 52 Aries op breaks are comprised of four stretches and have a countdown timer for each stretch visible on the screen An example of such a stretch can be seen in Figure 16 below Arm and Shoulder Stretch Am To shetch your hands ard forsame and fo encourage movement of your shoulder Starting Posi
90. hive Aries requires the libhook library which is in the EventHook subfolder within the Logic folder The system also requires the Stretches XML file that contains all the information about the stretches used by Aries This file is bundled within the Aries package All the graphics needed by the system are also stored within the application within the Graphics folder The system also requires the commons library This library is stored in the dist subfolder in the Aries directory To build using Linux 1 Open the dist folder in the Aries directory 2 Right click on the Aries jar file and left click Open in archive 3 Left click and drag the Org folder from the dist folder into the archive window 4 Double click on the Aries jar file 5 The system will now open You can also import the src folder into an IDE such as Netbeans or Eclipse 3 Installation guide 1 Extract the Aries jar file from the Aries compressed archive a OnLinux right click and click Extract contents using gunzip or ark ds Aries op b On Windows right click and click Extract all using 7 Zip or similar 2 Double click on the Aries jar file to run the application 4 Source Code Structure 4 1 Aries GUI Class Name Description About Screen java The window displayed to the user when they access the About screen Break java The window displayed to the user when it is time for a scheduled break
91. ies rather than computers In this case it was tennis elbow he believed was due to playing golf Q3 When you experienced these problems how did you look to resolve them Finger they didn t look to actively resolve the problem and the syndromes subsided after a period of time The person who suffered from other activities rather than computers golf bandaged his elbow and took a break from playing the sport Q4 Are any of these syndromes recurring No Q5 When and how did you first become aware of RSI Through media reports news wrist pains were highlighted due to the increase of typing with keyboards They all became aware of RSI a long time ago Q6 Are you aware of any RSI prevention system out there at the moment No software only hardware such as ergonomic keyboards and wrist protections and ergonomic mice Hs Aries op 2 Software Currently Used and Daily Routine Q7 Which operating systems do you use Windows Vista and 7 rest of the studio other departments use Macs Q8 What programs do you use most in your daily routine Web browsers Text editors Word HTML text editors and Photoshop Q9 Do you think that an RSI prevention program is a one that could help Yes Q10 Do you think such a system would be a hindrance to your work Depends on how strict and encroaching it is upon their work Q11 How frequently do you take breaks throughout your working day Hourly Q12 How long do you
92. iming Cycling No Use Sensing v Visual pre break warning seconds 10 Speakers Black background during breaks CR t T t C None Iw Mouse cursor trapped during breaks CR Start wh Computer Speaker r7 Betum mouse cursor after Enforced breaks Go to System Tray when monitoring starts C Sound Card Test Sounds Sound Warning Micropause Rest Break Ignore Finish Scheme 1 had Presets Prevention Treatment Intense Treatment Help Cancel Figure 3 Break Reminder s settings window Break Reminder offers the following features e Mini pauses whose duration is recorded in seconds e Rest Breaks whose duration is recorded in minutes e Offers the option to Black Out the whole screen during breaks and pauses e Allows the user the option to either ignore a break or not depending on pre determined settings e Allows the user to choose the number of Mini breaks between Rest Breaks e Boasts three operational modes o Basic timed reminders set times o Key Mouse sensing computer use influencing break times o Key Mouse triggering of each successive timed period resumption of timing on return to PC use e Offers three preset configurations these consisting of RSI prevention RSI sufferer or intense RSI sufferer e The system allows the user to pause the break reminder at any time without restarting timers and counter manage interruptions e Supports password protection option for the settings scre
93. in prevent poor sitting posture Dand Ls Danke sed Figure 12 RSI Warrior s GUI E WorkPace 3 0 Console File Settings View Preferences Statistics Registration Help CIE Q Q A amp F r Mao Settings y 49 AP YF Ez ut 2 Ox EE Preferences Y Work Intensity Ctatiotice aaa es S eT pavet Figure 13 Workpace menus and GUI Both these GUI s consist of user friendly icons for buttons and have easily accessible pull down menus on the side In the middle right of the interface is the main focus where the users desired content is displayed Aries design follows in a similar vein to these systems and has the main functionality displayed along the top rather than down the right hand side shown below in Figure 14 The GUI also consists of two pull down menus offering further features such as the help guide Aries op Window Controls Minimise User s Usage Tab User s Stretches Tab Clock Maximize and close About menu User s Action Tab System s Settings Tab User s Windows Tab File menu File About 11 59 53 y Actions E Settings 9 Stretches a Windows aa Keys Pressed Mouse moved 2401 89cm Mouse Clicks Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Current Work Intensity 2 Displays the user s current work intensity Posture Guide Button Rest Break Button Figure 14 Aries Main GUI 4 7 1 Stretches GUI Research similar to that of t
94. ing Spreadsheets Monitoring Systems Emails Gaming Other please specify Where is it that you mostly use a computer Work Home Leisure Are you aware of any RSI prevention products currently available Tick all that apply Not aware of any Workpace RSI warrior o RSI Screensaver EyeDefender Stress Buster Break Time o Break Reminder Albion StopNow Workplace Angel Other please specify How often do you take a break during a working day Which of these features in the system would you prefer More frequent shorter breaks Less frequent longer breaks Is your workstation well designed for your job Yes No If not why not Can you think of any obvious amp immediate improvements that could be made to your workstation Aries ep Does the machine process line management etc determine the speed of your work or can you control it Please choose an appropriate value 1 being the least and 5 being the most 1 2 3 4 5 o o o o e Entirely dictated by you Entirely dictated to you Is your output measured each day is there a monitoring system in operation Other Comments Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire All data obtained will be completely anonymous and will not be passed onto any third parties Any further questions please don t hesita
95. itors the users activity and advises the user when a break is recommended e The system allows users to ignore or delays breaks this feature can also be disabled by the user e The system also has the option to lock the screen during breaks to enforce them e Break reminder sounds are customisable e Stress Buster does not record any of the user s computer activities Thus meaning the system cannot be used as a means to spy e Can be set to run on windows start up Stress Buster Short Pause You have been using your computer for 20 minutes You should pause for 1 minute 51 seconds remaining Figure 7 Stress Buster Short Pause screen 2 4 Analysis of Existing Systems Table 1 below shows the comparison of the existing systems researched to that of the proposed functions for the Aries system From studying the table it is clear to see that there is no system currently available that would offer the proposed functionality of the Aries system and that any system that supports many of Aries features are Payware cc Aries op System Distribution Rest Micro Monitor Intensity Scheduled Sounds Settings Stretches Type Break Break User Breaks Activity Breaktime Payware v v v v v Break Payware v v v v v Reminder Workpace Payware v v v v v v Albion Payware Ld v v v StopNow Workplace Payware v d v v Angel RSI Warrior Payware v v v v v RSI Free
96. l a comfortable stretch Hold for 10 seconds Repeat on other leg Progress of stretch completion Picture of the Stretch Completed 2 of Break Another Stretch Close Close the Rest Break Open a different Rest Break Button Button Figure 17 Aries Rest Break Window 53 Aries op 4 7 1 2 MicroBreak Screen Upon designing the appearance of the MicroBreak screen research was carried out on various systems that offered such a function Many consisted of a similar interface of a simple pop up screen comprising of a countdown timer progress bar and a cancel button WorkPace Break Ir fi 451 mns el Big Stretch Micro Break REST BREAK SCH 4 43 minutes Usage let C327 RSI Tip RSI conditions include circulatory disorders such General as Raynaud s Disease and Vibration White Finger TT 00 Did you know thet doing regular exercise like walking cc swimming helps to prevent work related Fa discomfort d Figure 18 Break Reminder Workpace and Big Stretch Time Remaining 0h 0m 51s This appeared to be the best solution to the design of such a screen due to its simplicity Aries s MicroBreak follows the same design principles but with a view of being more user friendly and aesthetically pleasing Aries MicroBreak design can be seen below in figure 19 Aires MicroBreak Screen Closes the Micro Break A A Progress of the MircoBreak Mic
97. ll appear These break screen are shown below in Figure 36 Aries Break Screen JE Aries Break Screen Aries Break Screen K A A 86 Morning Break Lunch Time End of the Day Dismiss Dismiss Dismiss 4 Figure 36 Aries Scheduled Break Screens You can then dismiss the break alert Left click on the Dismiss button located in the lower middle of the window and highlighted in Figure 37 Alternative Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen Figure 37 Scheduled Break Dismiss Button 2 4 Set the Strictness of the Aries system 1 Locate and click on the Settings Tab it is the third one and then you will be presented with the settings screen illustrated in Figure 32 2 Adjust the strictness slider shown in Figure 38 Aries ep 1 YA Y Actions GD vsase Settings Stretches a Windows A a Morning Break 11 vj 00 v AM v Lunch 12 w 00 e IPM v End of Day 5 w 00 PM v System Strictness Figure 38 Strictness Slider Save Settings Ec The system strictness slider alters the time between the Rest Breaks The settings are as follows Setting 1 7 minutes Setting 2 12minutes Setting 3 17minutes Setting 4 20minutes Setting 5 25minutes 3 Once you have the slider the desired valu
98. m s look and feel to render its windows Java offers a standardised look and feel that can be applied to the system but the design decision was chosen to go with the user system s look and feel as this was seen to aid familiarity and as a result made the GUI more user friendly Aries was primarily developed on Centos 5 a Linux environment using the IDE Netbeans However with 9196 of personal computers being Windows based 8 the Aries system interface was tested on the Windows environment to ensure that the system still functioned as it should without the event hook Although with the event hook being the link between the user s activities and the system this was a very limited test without this functionality When the Aries system was run on a Linux environment the results were both successful and conclusive with everything functioning as it is supposed to Aries op The results from running the Aries system on the Windows environment including Windows 7 Vista and XP were successful although the system had limited functionality All features not relying on the system s event hook worked successfully Chapter 7 Evaluation amp Future Work 7 1 Realisation of Primary Goals Aries meets all of the primary goals that were set out at the beginning of the implementation stage All of the requirements marked as having a priority rating of 1 or 2 in the requirements section have been met as well as most of the requirements with a
99. me the variable is accessed Operations on the master copies of one or more volatile variables on behalf of a thread are performed by the main memory in exactly the order that the thread requested 28 5 4 Displaying all the stretches in categories In order to achieve this the system makes use of regular expressions and searches the stretch type for keywords The type of stretch is stored in the XML file with all the stretches information The system stores the stretch types in an Arraylist then searches through the Arraylist trying to match the stretch types into the pre defined categories of Eyes Hands Legs Back and Neck A segment of the code that achieves this is detailed below for loop Loops through the Arraylist for int i 0 i lt typeList size i gets the i th element in the Arraylist String type String typeList get i boolean t checks to see if the stretch type contains the phrase eye if t type matches i eye displays the Title of the stretch if it is an eye stretch in the GUI s stretch display area GUI StretchesEyesTextArea append String ReadAndPrintXMLFile titleList get i n f the stretch is not an eye stretch it checks against the next category ae CS Aries op This regular expression looks for either a hand or arm in the stretch type Jelse if t type matches i hand arm Aries op Chapter 6 Testing Testing is a major part of
100. modifs amp mask 0 Et clicked clicked false 52 53 XQueryKeymap display keys 54 for int i 0 i 32 i if keys i 0 amp amp keys i pastKeys i counterKeyPressed break 55 for int i 0 i lt 32 i pastKeys i keys i 56 57 usleep 50 58 59 Figure 25 Event Listener Hook written in C CES Aries op With the eventlistener working and written in C the next task was to integrate the C code into Java and my project 5 2 Integrating C with Java In order to achieve the desired listeners that are needed for my system to be able to successfully listen to the users actions various sources needed to be written and compiled in the programming language C This C code then needed to be integrated into my predominantly Java written project This turned out to be rather more difficult than was first expected This section explores the process involved difficulties encountered and the solutions to these difficulties 5 2 1 Define a Native Method The following Java source code is a simple example of what is needed in the Java class This particular method has one method and a static code segment class CppNumberGetter public native int getNumber static System loadLibrary number The implementation for the CppNumberGetter class s getNumber method is written in another programming language and is acknowledged by the use of the native keyword in the meth
101. n located at the bottom right of the window and highlighted in figure 2 5 7 Alternative 1 Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen S MIIIHMISLES HM L6 VI UI anm Come D Figure 45 Highlighted Close Button 2 6 Micro Breaks Aries Micro Breaks encourage you to stop what they are doing for a short period of time These micro breaks will appear depending on your work intensity When your work intensity reaches 3 or above as illustrated in Figure 46 a Micro Break Figure 47 will appear Current Work Intensity G Figure 46 Work Intensity Field Aires MicroBreak Screen Closes the Micro Break Progress of the MircoBreak Micro Break Ignore Completed 8 of Break Figure 47 Micro Break Screen Another way to take a Micro Break is to select it from the File menu 1 Left click on the File menu located at the top left of the window and shown in Figure 40 A drop down menu will appear as shown in Figure 41 2 Left click on the Micro Break Button shown in Figure 48 File About Posture Guide Figure 48 Highlighted MicroBreak Menu Item You can also access the Micro Break screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control M to display a Rest Break The Micro Break will then appear You can close the Micro Break before it is scheduled to finish 1 Lef
102. n the desired tab on the left hand side highlighted below in Figure 55 The text will now change in the text area to correspond to this action If there are several stretches that aim to protect the same area of the body from RSI you may need to scroll down to find a stretch that they wish to perform 2 Click on either the up arrow or the down arrow on the scroll bar which is highlighted below in Figure 55 A12 File About 11 56 28 3 Actions 9 vsave Settings e a Windows HI Back ar a Eye Blackout Hands DESCRIPTION Computer users blink less when they work on their computer focusing on the screen This stretch helps lubricate the eye ind help relieve dry eyes Close your eyes and cover with your hands Keep eyes closed for 20 seconds Repeat again Posture guide Suetches Pop Up Click on the appropriate tab Scroll down using the scroll bar Figure 55 Highlighted Stretches Tab 2 10 Windows The windows tab shown here in Figure 56 was not able to be implemented in time for the Aries version 1 0 so will appear in version 1 1 The tab however remained present so that the Aries layout would not change and you would not need to re familiarise themselves with the system Figure 56 Aries Windows Tab 2 11 About Screen The About Screen outlines the motivations behind the Aries System The About Screen can be access
103. ne A15 A Tc n A17 2 14 Aries running in the background 1e eeeneee eren tenen neo rette nnne dnas A18 2 15 Quitting ArI6S ope de oat e MR I IRE AERA IR IE A19 Appendix B Aries Maintenance Manual B1 1 Requirements and Dependencies EE B2 IM B2 3 Installation SUNG E B2 TE e B3 EA PIES EE B3 2 2 Arles TL B3 4 2 1 Aries Logle EVentHOONK uiis titer Etpe ener gd eo resale ke ep dedu na eeu va deveRqaS ds B4 4 3 Stretches Text onusta cible dece ies hdd dan EE MODA EUH DIU De redu B4 Dy KNOWN BUES iiai B4 6 Instructions for possible forms of Maintenance B5 BA Add anew stretchers assisia RAS IQ Reve tr U Ond NE uu nar nnn B5 6 2 Add another Scheduled Break Screen essence B5 Appendix C Installing Java SE 6 4 iie eneei teo rernm nhan nn ra noue mo rng au iren n C1 RII ies serves ss C1 et E C1 Further QUESTIONS seruitio eaaa eea nEn EN ra sn ETE a C1 Appendix D RSI Physical solutions Techniques and Surgery D1 1 Ee D1 ZS Oecie later D1 r revere oo Aries op SM POSUNE orena PEE D2 LM Ud MR D3 5 VERUS ios as rper tuo MPO HEREERUM EAUX HL xt fedus bcd es Ma pt m S a Mb HG M Ra aiii D3 Ile MH P R D3 7 M use Miei e
104. niche addition to functionality However the idea to make the Aries system have the ability to have plug ins written for it and have it tailored to a company s needs is one that can be fulfilled This form of implementation model has been a highly successful one used by many open source projects such as Mozilla Firefox 9 The introduction of additional functionality that would allow the user to view their statistics and activities in the form of graphs and charts would be a good feature With the introduction of a method of storing the users statistics from previous sessions allowing the user to view and analyse their previous actions From this data trends could be discovered and the system tailored and altered to improve the system s effectiveness to combat RSI The functionality to support more languages would make the Aries system accessible to a wider spectrum of potential clients and increase the system s usability Aries op Chapter 8 Conclusions Overall the Aries project can be labelled a success with most of functional requirements fulfilled and all of the non functional and core requirements being fulfilled Aries is still however a work in progress and needs some additional work before it can be widely distributed as outlined in the section 7 4 All new features added to the Aries system must be exposed to the extensive testing that the current functionality has been put through The next step would be to rel
105. nu item and the Stretch Pop up button on the main GUI which both use the same Action Any input that the system takes from the user is also tested to avoid the system crashing as a result of extreme or unexpected inputted user day Although the Aries system monitors the user with very little user input the system does use combo boxes to get when the user wants to take their scheduled breaks Detailed here in Table 21 Window Tested Element Test Result GUI Settings Tab Morning Hour Selecting an hour for the PASSED Combo Box morning break morning break should appear at this hour GUI Settings Tab Morning Selecting an minute for the PASSED Minute Combo morning break morning break a Aries op Box should appear at this minute past the hour GUI Settings Tab Morning AMPM Selecting an AMPM for the PASSED Combo Box morning break morning break should appear before or after noon GUI Settings Tab Lunch Hour Selecting an hour for the lunch PASSED Combo Box break lunch break should appear at this hour GUI Settings Tab Lunch Minute Selecting an minute for the PASSED Combo Box lunch break lunch should appear at this minute past the hour GUI Settings Tab Lunch AMPM Selecting an AMPM for the PASSED Combo Box lunch break lunch break should appear before or after noon GUI Settings Tab End ofthe Da
106. o inform the user of the start and end of the break e Plays music during the breaks with the following formats being supported MID WAV MP3 and OGG formats e The systems appearance can be altered by the user with various different skins being available e The system also boasts a multi language user interface 2 2 2 Break Reminder Break Reminder 20 is a software package designed to both prevent and assist convalescence to RSI Break Reminder has a small program interface that runs in the background and monitors computer use and reminds or forces the user to take a break depending upon their settings The system s settings screen is shown below in figure 3 Break Reminder boasts the fact that is highly configurable to each individual user s circumstances whether they are an OOS sufferer experiencing symptoms or if they want to prevent RSI cm JK Break Reminder Settings Events MicroPauses Access Control C MicroPauses Only Password protect Stopping and Settings see Help Duration seconds MicroPauses and Rest Breaks Allow Ignoring C Rest Breaks Only Rest Breaks Password Work Time Duration minutes 5 m Pauses between Breaks Uninterrupted minutes 3 Allow Ignoring V Number of MictoPauses 1 between Rest Breaks Intelligent Monitoring with Use Sensing Seconds inactive to reverse countdown 10 x Each Timed Cycle Triggered by PC Use Iw Pre break warning sound seconds 20 e i Simple T
107. o look at various RSI preventing stretches at anytime set the time between breaks and view various statistics about their activities during that session The system offers two forms of breaks The first of these are the main breaks that appear throughout the users session at pre determined periods of time These so called rest breaks can last for a pre determined time usually ten minutes The second of these breaks is a MicroBreak These MicroBreaks only last for a few seconds and are determined by the user work intensity Although the primary aim of the system is to prevent RSI the system also caters for users that are already currently experiencing some of the affects of the syndrome 1 2 What is RSI Repetitive Strain Injury RSI is a pain syndrome that affects millions of people world wide and in 2006 nearly half a million people suffered from some form of RSI in the UK 1 In a more recent survey 68 per cent of the UK s workforce suffered from RSI with the most common areas effected being the back shoulders wrists and hands 2 With 5 4 million working days being lost by sick leave as a result of RSI on average every year 3 with an estimated cost to UK industry in the range of five billion pounds to twenty billion pounds annually 4 RSI is a very real condition and one that both employers and individuals should become more aware of Employers are indeed becoming more aware of the threats that RSI presents to their workforce
108. od s definition The implementation for getNumber is supplied in a separate native language source file Native methods like other methods must be defined within a Java class 5 2 2 Load the Library The native language code that implements the above method must first be compiled into a shared library and then loaded into the Java class that requires it achieved this by using the following Linux command in the terminal With csh setenv LD LIBRARY PATH path With bash export LD LIBRARY PATH path The implementation of the naive method is mapped to the java class s definition once the library has been loaded Aries op The static code block below taken from the CppNumberGetter class loads the correct library named number A class s static code block is executed by the runtime system when it loads the class static System loadLibrary number 5 2 3 Create the Main Program Within a separate source file in this case called Main java a Java application that instantiates CppNumberGetter and calls the getNumber native method needs to be created class Main public static void main String args CppNumberGetter jniObject new CppNumberGetter System out println Cpp told me jniObject getNumber As show above a native method is called in much the same way as a regular method might be called After the Java code was compiled using the javac utility program and as
109. one that allows your finger to bend becomes swollen and enflamed This then catches on the opening of the sheath that it passes through at the base of your finger The result of this is that either your finger makes a clicking sound or your finger may become locked in the closed position During surgery the surgeon will make a small incision into your palm at the base of the affected finger They will then enlarge the part of the tunnel that is currently restricting the E Aries op enflamed tendon After the tunnel has been enlarged the tendon should be able to function normally 9 3 Arthritis Surgery In this type of surgery the arithiel surfaces at the joints are removed or sanded away and a material is inserted between the two ends of the bones This material may consist of a natural tendon taken from the patient or may be a synthetic plastic rubber shaped to fit into the joint Some surgeons may simply choose to fuse the two bones making up the joint together thus eliminating the joint and pain 9 4 Surgery Success Rate Surgery for RSI has no proven track record Indeed it has been reported of having a 57 failure rate Many of the people who go through with surgery report experiencing no benefit as a result of surgery or reporting having a later relapse which may cause permanent tissue change A study by the American Medical Association reported that intermittent pain was reported by 42 digital numbness by 32 and tingling hi
110. ons which are shown in Table 20 All the windows will appear in the middle of the users screen and all are resizable this is an attempt to allow the user to customise the screens to tailor to his needs Window Width Height About 400 349 Scheduled Break 400 315 RSI FAQ 683 431 GUI 811 366 Help 665 750 Micro Break 270 279 Posture Guide 324 417 Splash 400 381 Rest Break 701 514 Table 20 Window Dimensions 4 7 7 Navigation The navigation throughout the system has been designed to be consistent in order to aid usability and make the ease at which a user becomes familiar with the system much greater The global navigation of the system is constantly at the top of the GUI This is now standard design in many systems and thus should be instantly recognisable to the user Local navigation varies between panes and screens but has been designed to be as simple and easy to use as possible 4 8 Proposed Database Design Although in the scope of this project the database is a relatively minor feature due to the fact that it is only needed to implement a future function it has been decided to layout the structure here in order to aid future development The database would need to hold the users details and their passwords which in turn would need to hashed to aid security Aries op Research was carried out to explore the various databases available to be used in the system Both integrat
111. oor posture and after time your body begins to compensate for this imbalance by contracting nearby muscles for additional support tightening the connective tissues to further support the imbalance Over a period of months and years if unresolved this tightening of tissues can result in the body becoming rigid stiff and may also interfere with the normal contractions relaxations of muscles which inhibit the movement of surrounding nerves and blood vessels Correcting poor posture is imperative in recovering from RSI The ideal set up is shown above in figure 1 0 1 and below in figure 2 0 1 and 2 0 2 18 28 in 45 70 cm Rare zone 26 in 755 cm Occasional zone 10 20 in 25 50 cm Usual zone up to 10 in 25 cm Figure 2 0 1 Correct Monitor Height Figure 2 0 2 Correct Desk Distances Aries op 4 Lighting The main aim to prevent RSI is for the user to be as comfortable as possible Bright light in a workplace can be very irritating so it is important to make sure the lighting isn t too bright and that if you have glare on your screen that you move the screen lower the light level or use a good quality anti glare screen Also be sure not to have a bright light such as a window directly behind or in front of your monitor as this variation of light can be a cause of eye strain 5 Ventilation Whilst working it is important that both you and your computer have adequate fresh air
112. ound 121 Sys The system should have a post 3 break sound 123 Sys The system should have a pre 3 break visual 130 Sys The system should have 4 password protected settings 135 Sys The system should give the user 4 the option to show the correct posture guide on start up 136 Sys The system should show posture 135 4 guide on start up unless unselected 137 Sys If unselected system should not 135 2 show posture guide on start up 140 Sys The system should allow the user 4 to set the frequency of breaks for the user by selecting from the choices of RSI prevention Got RSI or Bad RSI 150 U The user should be able to set a 2 time for when the system will alert them of when it is time for the morning break 151 U The user should be able to set a 2 time for when the system will alert them of when it is time for the lunch break 152 U The user should be able to set a 2 time for when the system will alert them of when it is the end of the day Table 3 Functional Requirements Table Aries op 3 1 2 3 UML Use Case Diagram Use case for Primary Functionalities Display lt lt include gt gt Rest Break Display Scheduled lt lt include gt gt Break Display lt lt include gt gt MicroBreak Monitor User Display lt lt include gt gt Activity Actions Show Posture Guide ReadXML Show all Stretches Figure 9 UML use case diagram
113. parsed and loaded into the system successfully Extensions a If the XML file has become damaged corrupt i The system will not crash ii An appropriate error message will be displayed b If the XML file cannot be located An appropriate error message will be displayed Special Requirements The stretches must load on start up Table 9 Read XML Use Case The Use Case for the system displaying all the stretches read from the XML file to the user is detailed below in Table 10 Display all the Stretches Use Case Name Show all Stretches Scope Aries Level System Goal Primary Actor User Stakeholder amp Interests User The user can browse through the stretches by the area that they benefit The stretch instructions must be clear and concise The layout must be logical Preconditions Application is open The Read XML class works correctly Success Guarantee All the stretches are displayed sorted by the area of the body that they benefit Main Success Scenarios 1 User clicks on the Stretches tab 2 User clicks on the body area they wish to view Extensions a At any time the user wants to exit the application User clicks on the Exit button in the File pull down menu ii User right clicks on the Aries icon in the systems notification area and click Exit from the pop up menu Special Requirements
114. preliminary requirements are defined in the Requirements definition the analyst must rewrite and eradicate any ambiguity before writing the Requirements Specification This forms the contract between the user and the software s developers Once this is achieved it is the job of the analyst to specify a system that can satisfy these requirements This details both the functional and non functional requirements of the system These requirements are defined here Problem Maurer Requirements Requirements Definition Specification Functional Requirements Figure 8 The convention stages of requirements capture 3 1 2 Product Functional Requirements The functional requirements for my system were devised using a combination of the results gathered from the focus group and questionnaires used in unison with my own personal experience and knowledge on the matter This experience has been established by using similar systems to the one proposed and through extensive research 3 1 2 1 Description of Actors In this section the following actors are referred to U The user using the system 30 Aries op Sys The system itself 3 1 2 2 Textual List of Required Functionality The following table Table 3 details the required functionality for the Aries system The actor that interacts with each of the requirements is specified in the Actor column and the system version that that requirement is needed for is sp
115. previous versions of Java however exception handling of what a thread might produce once in its run method were not properly dealt with This lead to poor coding such as that shown below as it is not easy to distinguish when the thread has terminated with an exception public void run note the Thread run method is declared NOT to throw any checked exceptions try some code here which might throw checked exception such as an IOException catch IOException ioex ioex printStackTrace 5 3 1 Solution to stopping a thread After the depreciated of the Thread s stop suspend etc methods the only solution to safely stopping a thread is to have it exit its run method According to Sun Microsystems s article Why are Thread stop Thread suspend and Thread resume Deprecated 22 This can be achieved by using a volatile stop flag This is defined as blinker in the code below a Aries op private volatile Thread blinker public void stop blinker null public void run Thread thisThread Thread currentThread while blinker thisThread try thisThread sleep interval catch InterruptedException e repaint The volatile keyword is used to make sure that prompt communication between threads is adhered to If a field is declared volatile it means that a thread must reconcile its working copy of the field with the master copy every ti
116. priority of 3 The Aries system has currently been implemented up to and including some of the features of Prototype 1 2 7 2 Realisation of Secondary Goals Some of the system s secondary goals have been met throughout the implementation of the system these include A pre break and post break alert noise Implementation only reached prototype 1 2 of the Aries system this was mainly due to time constraints If future work was to be carried out on the system prototype 3 0 could realistically be achieved Potential difficulties of fulfilling the necessary requirements include the recording of which applications the user has been using This would require another system hook similar to the one implemented to listen to the users actions Further future pitfalls include the details of what the user s activities are needed to determine what keys are being pressed by the users right hand and left hand This poses a potential security breach and would be challenging to implement in the Linux environment where security protocols are much tighter than in the Windows environment 7 3 Evaluation of Completed Work Aries can be distributed at present but only to a limited potential client base These reasons are listed in the following sections 7 3 1 Improvements to core functionality A System hook would need to designed and implemented first and foremost if the system is to distribution widely due simply to the fact that ninety one per cent o
117. rather than a hindrance 6 5 Break Thread Testing As threads are a main feature of the Aries system testing of these threads that appear on the break screens and dictate when these breaks will appear is a necessity The threads throughout the system were all tested to ensure that they run and terminated when they were meant to The use of the three tier system architecture ensured that this was the case and that threads were dealt with in the correct way After extensive testing of the system as a whole no issues were raised with regards to the threads except for one minor issue see Known Bugs section in Appendix C for details Therefore on a whole the testing of threads can be regarded as a success 6 6 Cross Platform Testing The Aries system was designed and implemented using Java which is a platform independent language however the system hook that listens to the user s activities varies on different operating systems The Aries system hook is currently only functional on Linux systems at present as this was the more challenging OS to perform such a hook This choice was enforced by the use of Linux computers in the Computing Department where the Aries system was being developed Due to time constraints a system hook for Windows was not implemented but this will be included in Aries version 1 1 to increase the system s portability In addition to this the systems look and feel differs from system to system as Aries uses the syste
118. ress are the extensor forearm muscles which lift the wrist and control the fingers Bad ergonomics can be a contributing factor and can lead to muscle strains pinched nerves and general atigue Other titles for RSI include t Occupation Overuse Injury OOl I Work Related Upper Limb Disorder WRULD I Cumulative Stress Trauma Disorder CTS CTD ft Work related Musculo Skeletal Disorders WMSD Figure 63 Aries RSI FAQ Screen The RSI FAQ screen consists of a large text area that contains information and answers to frequently asked questions about RSI You may want to scroll through these questions to find the answer they desire To do this 1 Left click on either the up arrow or the down arrow on the scroll bar which is highlighted below in Figure 64 A16 Aries op various ct any one or aj dis and fingers it not limited tq tenosynovitis uter dy not endons orearm inbea nd general Figure 64 RSI FAQ Screen Scroll bar To close the RSI FAQ screen 1 Left click on the Close button located at the bottom right of the window and highlighted in Figure 65 Alternative 1 Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen Figure 65 RSI FAQ Close Button 2 13 Help Aries s help screen is a guide to help you with the functionality that they system provides To open the help guide shown here in Figure 66
119. ressed during a time period such as 5 minutes Intensity will be measured on a scale of 5 Breaks User shall be able to set the duration of uninterrupted work System shall be able to allow the user choose where they are allowed to ignore breaks or not Table 16 Prototype 1 2 Aries op 4 5 4 Prototype 2 0 This prototype details the foundations of the next version of the system Prototype 1 will be the level of acceptable functionality that would mean that the system could be put into the market Prototype 2 aims to build on version 1 by implementing the following functionality shown in Table 17 Functionality System shall be able to Show the user what programs they have been using from the present session System shall be able to determine when the next micro break shall be depending upon intensity level System shall be able to tell the user how many keys their left hand has pressed System shall be able to tell the user how many keys their right hand has pressed User shall be able to have the system blacken the background during breaks User shall be able to disable the mouse during breaks Table 17 Prototype 2 0 4 5 5 Prototype 2 1 This prototype builds on that of 2 0 and implements additional features for the system These features are detailed below in Table 18 Functionality The system should have a pre break sound The system should have a post break so
120. ro Break 1 Ignore Completed 8 of Break 5 Figure 19 Aries MicroBreak 4 7 1 3 Schedule Break Screen The Aries system also has the functionality to display the user with alerts throughout the day at pre determined times This allows the user to set times for when they want to have their morning break lunch and when it is time for them to go home These screens where designed to be user friendly and consist of a picture and text both describing the type of break This allows the user to understand instantly what the break alert is The Aries design for the three breaks can be seen below in figure 20 Aries Break Screen l Aries Break Screen lieiixi amp Morning Break Lunch Time End of the Day pou Dismiss Dismiss Dismiss Figure 20 Aries Scheduled Break Screens 4 7 2 About Screen The design principles behind the About screen were to produce a simple screen that could convey the idea and drive being such a system as Aries The design was to have a simple screen displaying the systems logo and a short text description of why it was developed Aries s About screen can be seen in figure 21 Aries About Screen RSI Prevent RSI Prevent is Software designed and developed to help reduce RSI in the workplace his system was designed and implemented by Peter Kindness In the Java langauge as part of his 4th Year Computing Honours Project at Aberdeen University Close a
121. rving the results As the Aries system monitors the user s activities and runs MM lec Aries op in the background the stress testing plan was to try and overload the system s CPU in order to see if the system continues to monitor the user or if the system crashes With modern computers having extensive memory and processing power this was a rather hard test to fulfil The system withstood all my attempts to crash it and continued to monitor the user This is credited to the event hook taking up very little process power 6 4 User Testing User testing allows me the developer to directly observe the user using the Aries system The user test is one of the most effective means of evaluating the systems usability The test will highlight any usability problems in real terms and usability can be measured throughout the test by calculating the user s performance The test is designed to see how the system interacts with the user and to discover if the system is lenient enough to allow the user to complete their work whilst being firm enough to prevent RSI The test will give an indication to whether the system can be tolerated and which functions that it provides are appreciated by the user and which are not 6 4 1 Test Results Test subject 1 Colleague Expert Test subject 2 Novice The first set of tasks were to see how easy it is to navigate through the Aries system s GUI Task 1 Bring up a Rest Break Subject1 Clicked on the
122. rx 20 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook getMouseY JNIEnv env jobject jobj return ry 21 22 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook reset JNIEnv em jobject jobj 23 counterMouseClicks counterKeyPressed distance 0 24 25 26 JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java Logic EventHook EventHook initHook JNIEnv em jobject jobj t 21 pthread t thread 28 display XOpenDisplay 0 29 root XRootWindow display 0 30 XSelect Input display root KeyReleaseMask 31 return pthread create amp thread NULL hookLoop NULL 32 33 34 int inline idist int x1 int yi int x2 int y2 35 if x2 x1 lt O x2 x2 36 if y2 y1 lt 0 y2 27 return x2 y2 x2 y2 y2 x2 gt gt 1 38 39 40 void hookLoop void targ 4l bool clicked false 42 char pastKeys 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 keys 32 43 unsigned int modifs 44 int ux wy oldx oldy mask ButtoniMask Button2Mask Button3Mask Button4Mask ButtonSMask 45 XQueryPointer display root amp root2 windowIn amp oldx amp oldy wx amp vy amp modifs 46 for t 47 XQueryPointer display root root2 windowIn amp rx ry wx Eug amp modifs 48 if clicked amp amp modifs amp mask 0 counterMouseClicks clicked true ag if oldx je rx oldy ry distance idist oldx oldy rx ry 50 oldx rx oldy ry 51 if
123. sions of the system a database would be needed in order to hold these statistics The need for a database would also need to be realised if the system was to incorporate password protected settings These passwords would need to be hashed into a database for security The decision to hold the information for the stretches in XML format rather than to store them in a central database was one made quite early on The use of an XML file was believed to be a more elegant way of storing the information as it meant that portability would be greatly increased and the need of dependencies would be reduced as the XML file could be bundled with the Aries package unlike a database 4 3 3 System Components Interaction The overall layout of the components in the system is that of the classic three tier architecture familiar in software engineering Although my system does not have a database that is so often associated with this form of layout it does however request and receive data from an XML file and has a logic and an interface layer This is shown in figure 10 below About Screen Break Mictopreak FAQ GUI Suspe Screen Screen Interface Layer MicroBreak S Stretches BreakWrapper Wrapper Posture GuiWrapper StreenWrapper Display MinimizeTo Scheduled MicroBreak getSettings Displaytime m Breaks Y Logic Logic Logic NextBreak SetWork BreakProgress Si Layer SE Intensity Bar EventHook EventHook EventHook 8 EventHook c EventHook java DisplayA Str
124. stem If you could tie in a time keeping device For example in web development they need to track the number of hours spent on certain projects A prompt when you open the web developer to select the project you are working on And then start a timer Have a list of the project you are currently working on which can be deleted once that certain project is completed This would be a very helpful feature Aries op Appendix H Questionnaire As part of my Honours Project am designing and implementing a system to help prevent Repetitive Strain Injury RSI RSI is a pain syndrome affecting millions of people world wide and is the number one occupational hazard in the entire US This questionnaire is designed to get an insight into how people currently use their computers and as to what habits they currently process How old are you Younger than 16 16 24 25 34 35 44 45 54 55 What gender are you Male Female Do not wish to disclose Occupation How many hours a day on average do you use a computer 1 or less 2 3 4 6 6 8 8 Have you ever had problems relating to RSI Repetitive stress injuries Yes No Do not know what RSI is What do you mostly use your computer to do Typing Internet brows
125. stem It was decided that it would be far more effective to have a diagram showing the user how to set up their workstation rather than a detailed text description that may tempt the user to skip the step altogether This is shown in figure 23 below Aries Posture Guide Screen Workstation ergonomics ideal set up Top of monitor at eye level or just below Monitor roughly arm s length Gan away laci L i A Minimal bend straight Moma Elbows close to Backrest supporting lower back Adjustable SC swivel chair Front of seat not pressing Feet flat on ground on back of knees or resting on footrest Show this screen on Start up Close Figure 23 Aries Posture Guide Aries op 4 7 5 Accessibility Accessibility is an important issue to consider whilst designing the system as it is being targeted at as wide a consumer base as possible The addition of sound in the future would be an important accessibility increasing feature The system is also being designed with this in mind to prevent any accidental alienation of consumers that could lead to legal issues 4 7 6 Dimensions The default dimensions of the GUI are another important feature to consider with monitors coming in all shapes and sizes With the increase of netbooks and with laptops getting increasingly smaller as technology improves it is an issue worth addressing The system has been set with the default dimensi
126. t click on the Ignore button located in the middle of the window and highlighted in Figure 49 Alternative 1 Left click the cross located at the top right of the screen A10 ss ef Figure 49 Highlighted Ignore Button 2 7 Actions The Actions tab is the first of the tabs on Aries Graphical User Interface shown here is figure E a Actions 9 Figure 50 Highlighted Ignore Button This tab shows various statistics about your activities since running Aries These activities include number of keys pressed number of times the mouse has been clicked and the distance in centimetres that the mouse has travelled These features are illustrated in Figure 51 below The number of keys the user has pressed File About y Adions setings Stretches a Windows a as Keys Pressed Mouse moved 2401 89cm Mouse Clicks Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Current Work Intensity The total distance the cursor has R The total number of mouse moved in centimetres clicks the user has made Figure 51 Aries Actions Tab 2 8 Usage The Usage tab is the second of the tabs on Aries Graphical User Interface shown here is Figure 52 Ee Figure 52 Usage Tab The Usage tab shows the time remaining till the next Rest Break in the form of a progress bar The tab also shows the total time you have been using the Aries system for These features are highlighted in Figur
127. te to email me on p kindness 06 aberdeen ac uk
128. that not all of the proposed requirements could be fulfilled using purely Java so had to integrate some C code into my predominantly Java project 4 3 Architecture The ability of the system to be both appealing and fast coupled with the fact that the system needed to be reliable and robust meant that the choice of system architecture was an important decision to get right For details of the research carried out on the possible architectures available see Appendix E 4 3 1 Chosen Architecture As the sole developer of the system the architecture pattern that set out to accomplish falls under that of application architecture Layered architecture which is a decomposition of services where most interactions happen only between neighbouring layers is the pattern under application architecture that best fits my proposed project When developing the system emphasis is put on the function of individual elements and how they affect the design patterns Emphasis is also put on software this is to see if the desired goal is achievable As am the only member of the team less emphasis is put on the team as know what need to be achieved and the standard of work that is to be achieved Aries op 4 3 2 Storage Although the system at present does not have a database it could easily be modified in the future to incorporate one into its architecture If the system was to store statistics about the user s activities in future ver
129. the need of surgery This is only recommended if at all if all other forms of non surgical treatment have failed and if you have suffered from a musculoskeletal disorder for a long period of time If your doctor detects a wasting of the muscles or loss of sensation due to computer activity surgery may again be suggested CS Aries ep Hand surgery can be performed using a few methods and the few RSI related disorders which have surgical solutions are e Carpal Tunnel Syndrome e Trigger Fingers e Arthritis Surgical solutions for these disorders use three techniques e Carpal Ligament Release Surgery e Triggers Fingers Release Surgery e Arthritis Surgery Below is a brief description of the three surgeries 9 1 Carpal Ligament Release Surgery The goal in carpal ligament release surgery is to cut in two the flexor rentinaulum ligament which is located in the wrist This wide ligament runs across the hand from the scaphoid bone to the hamate bone and pisiform The ligament forms the roof of the carpal tunnel and once cut in line with the ring finger the pressure is released on the median nerve underneath it After surgery a lengthy physiotherapy program is needed This procedure is shown in Figure 8 1 1 below Incision Median nerve Transverse carpal ligament released Figure 8 1 1 Transverse Carpal Ligament Surgery 9 2 Trigger Finger Release Surgery Trigger finger occurs when a tendon in your finger
130. the touch pathological changes in bone and Dystrophy skin excessive sweating and tissue swelling Syndrome Stenosis An abnormal narrowing or contraction of a duct or canal Synovium See Tenosynovitis Thoracic A broad term that refers to compression of the neurovascular outlet structures in the area just above the first rib and behind the clavicle syndrome that results in upper extremity symptoms TOS Tendonitis The inflammation swelling of a tendon Tenosynovitis The inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon The sheath is called the synovium Trigger A form of stenosing Tenosynovitis finger thumb Aries op Chapter 1 Introduction This section of the report will introduce the concept behind my project as well as outline its goals and aims The objectives and motivation behind such a project will also be addressed 1 1 Overview The aim of this project is to design and develop a software package called Aries Aries is a practical and educational Repetitive Strain Injury RSI prevention system The system will monitor a user s activity and will force the user to take breaks throughout the working session whilst educating them about how to prevent RSI The system has been designed to divide up the user s pattern of work as research has shown that even a break of a few seconds can dramatically reduce the chance of RSI developing The system should also give the user the opportunity t
131. their seating posture e The system boasts a new initiative concept in automatic clicking This is designed to get rid of the strain associated by constantly clicking the mouse This works by automatically issuing a click whenever the mouse is held stationary for a short period of time Although this takes some getting used to it is great idea for people who suffer from mouse clicking related forms of RSI e The system also offers tracking and reporting of key work statistics that are designed to help the user understand how they use their computer 2 3 Freeware 2 3 1 RSI Screensaver 1 1 This software package offers the user various stretches instead of the usual desktop screensavers This software package is effectively just a series of pictures showing RSI prevention stretches that the system then sets as the users screen saver There needs to be a prolonged period of inactivity however for the screensaver to be activated This means the user will either not be at their workstation any more or that the user will continue working until they begin to feel the effects of RSI which by then could be too late 2 3 2 EyeDefender The EyeDefender 25 package is software package specially design to focus on the eyes of the user The system has been designed to prevent Computer Vision Syndrome CVS that can result from working on a computer for prolonged periods of time CVS symptoms include eyestrain blurred vision delayed focusing headaches
132. think the breaks should last for 5 minutes 3 Evaluation of RSI Prevent proposed features Q13 Do you think it would be better to take shorter more frequent breaks or longer less frequent breaks Longer less frequent breaks as the short ones may getting annoying and restrict the flow of work Q14 Would you be willing to use a system like RSI Prevent Yes as long as you can override it If it locks you out of the system when you really need to achieve something then that is no good Q15 How would you feel about performing various RSI preventing stretches in the workplace If they are not attention drawing and do not distract others from their work fine E Aries op If they are noisy then no such as star jumps Q16 Do you think the system should have sounds or do you see this as being distracting to other people All members would turn the sounds off if there were sounds Q17 Do you think the system should record statistics about your work pattern Yes As it would be quite interesting to look at what you have achieved Q18 How long do you think the period of time between the breaks should be The times ranged from 45 minutes to one and a half hours Q19 Would you be interested in the system monitoring the use of certain programs such as Word Excel etc Yes as this would be interesting to see at the end of the day Q20 Can you think of any other features that would find helpful in such a sy
133. thumb This is often suffered by typists as it is caused by the MERTES thumbs repetitive up down motion required to operate a keyboard Difficulty gripping objects pain and swelling over the thumb side of the wrist and numbness on the back of the thumb are the usual symptoms of this disorder 13 14 e Thoracic outlet syndrome TOS consists of a group of distinct disorders that affect the nerves that pass into the arms from the neck as well as various blood vessels and nerves between the base of the neck and armpit These disorders vary and have little in common except for the area of occurrence 15 e Trigger finger thumb is a type of stenosing tenosynovitis in which the sheath around a tendon of a finger or thumb becomes inflamed and restricts the movement The result of this is that the affected joints may become painful to straighten once bent and make a cracking noise when flexed 16 Aries op e Intersection Syndrome is a painful condition that affects the thumb side of the forearm and occurs where the two muscles intersect or cross over the two underlying wrist tendons Intersection Syndrome is often confused with DeQuervain s syndrome 17 e Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome RSDS also known as complex regional pain syndrome This is a chronic condition that is characterized by severe burning pain with extreme sensitivity to the touch pathological changes in bone and skin excessive sweating and tissue swelling
134. tion Sitting up tall inter nk your fingers palms Facing towards you Rol your palms down so they face away fiom you stage 1 Method Gently staighten your elbows Hold or 2 seconds Now take pour ame above your head Feel a stretch m your arms shoulders or upper back stage 21 Hold for 5 seconds then bring pour ams down Repetitions 3 Cancel Pause da Us p p Figure 16 Workpace Break It was decided to follow a similar design trend to that of Workpace s for Aries because of its simple logical layout which portrays the intended message with ease The system s Rest Break would display a graphic of a stretch combined with text describing what the stretch is designed to achieve The pop up screen will also display the title of the stretch and have a countdown progress bar that would show the user the time remaining until the break disappears The screen will also have a close button When this is pressed the screen will disappear Aries Rest break screen design can be seen below in figure 17 Which areas of the body benefit from this stretch Arles Rest Break Screen Aries Rest Break What the stretch is Areas Benefiting Lower Back called Name of Stretch Hip Stretch This stretch stretches the lower back muscles and lhelps reposition the lower back Instructions on how Place one leg over opposite thigh hands on to perform the stretch ankle and knee Slowly lean forward until you fee
135. tion Area icon Aries icon Open option The Aries GUI will appear PASSED Notification Area Aries icon Exit option The Aries system will exit PASSED Notification Area MicroBreak Screen Ignore Button The MicroBreak will close PASSED Rest Break Screen Close Button The Rest Break window will PASSED close Rest Break Screen Another Stretch Another Rest Break will appear PASSED Button Scheduled Break Dismiss Button The Break alert will disappear PASSED Screen Posture Guide Close Button The Posture guide will close PASSED About Screen Close Button The About screen will close PASSED RSI FAQ Close Button The RSI FAQ window will close PASSED Help Screen Close Button The Help Screen will close PASSED GUI Posture Guide The Posture Guide will open PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI MicroBreak A Micro Break will appear PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI Rest Break A Rest Break will appear PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI Quit The Aries system will exit PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI Help Screen The Help screen will appear PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI About Screen The About screen will appear PASSED Keyboard hotkey GUI RSI FAQ The RSI FAQ screen will appear PASSED Keyboard hotkey Table 21 Interface Testing Results 6 3 Stress Testing Stress testing was carried out on the system to determine its stability This form of testing involved pushing the Aries system beyond its normal operational capacity and obse
136. und The system should have a pre break visual The system should allow the user to set the frequency of breaks for the user by selecting from the choices of RSI prevention Got RSI or Bad RSI Posture guide If unselected system should not show posture guide on start up Table 18 Prototype 2 1 4 5 6 Prototype 3 0 Prototype 3 is the next version of the software It builds on version 1 and 2 by introducing security aspects and extra improvements to the overall performance of the system Detailed here in Table 19 Functionality The system should give the user the option to show the correct posture guide on start up The system should show posture guide on start up unless unselected Functionality and Security The system should have a password protected settings Table 19 Prototype 3 0 Aries op 4 6 UML Sequence Diagram User XML File Opens the application System presents the user with a screen demonstrating how to set up their workstation The system presents the user with screen with a count down for a few seconds The countdown will only start going down once the user has stopped all activity Looks up a stretch The system will present the user with a screen showing a random RSI preventing stretch The screen will lock f all other windows The screen will i base hia disappear once the countdown has run out or the user clicks on the ignore
137. users about the potential threat of it and how to take actions to prevent it ds Aries op With regards to the functionality of an RSI prevention system results seemed to be conclusive that longer few breaks were preferred over shorter more frequency breaks and that although sounds would be a nice option to have they were more than likely be turned off Feedback on Aries proposed features where positive and the idea of having RSI preventing stretches being a key feature providing that they were subtle and not distracting to others in the work place Aries op Chapter 3 Requirements This chapter defines the needs and goals for the Aries system detailing both the functional and non functional requirements that the implementation must adhere to 3 1 Functional Requirements 3 1 1 Product Perspective In a nutshell my proposed system should provide the user with a series of RSI prevention helping stretches that pop up after a predetermined time of activity 3 1 2 Model for capturing Requirements Although the users understanding of the problem is subjective the problem itself in reality is ambiguous This is due to the fact that the users are the expert in what the system needs to do and the developers only link to the problem Due to the fact that the users understanding of the problem is not perfect note the understanding cloud in Figure 8 below the developer needs to scrutinise and refine the requirements When the
138. ware e Enterprise e Solution e Hardware e System e Information e Technical e Infrastructure e Technology e Network e Web e Platform We will not delve too extensively into all of these types as many overlap greatly create cyclic dependencies are subjective in places and many refer to each other With so many different terms out there each overlapping it is fair to say that many in the industry are confused as which model to apply where The IASA terms offer an insight as to which should be applied where but as of yet offer no widespread standard for the discipline and all the terms can be a bit overwhelming Several forms of architecture are commonly referred to within the field of software development It is these that will look into with further detail to see which best applies to my system 1 http www iasahome org web home ITarchitecture Glossary The International Association of Software Architects E1 Aries op 1 2 Technical Architecture The term technical architecture is commonly a phrase coined when first attempting to describe a system s architecture but it does not closely tie to any type of software It is this inability to define a specific system that renders this form of architecture to be particularly meaningful when describing a system layout design A technical architecture is formally used to refer to any of the architectures a system may have and is often used to refer to a collection of
139. ware v Screensaver Eye Freeware v v Defender Stress Freeware Ld v v Buster Table 1 Existing Systems Comparison Table 2 5 Client Research Before development on the proposed system could begin further research was required to establish the following e What the potential consumer base knew of the threats of RSI e What their daily routine and behaviour currently is e Which features of the proposed software they would find most useful e Are there any additional features that consumers would like to see included that may have been overlooked or unthought of e What user interface requirements the users would be looking for In order to answer these questions decided to carry out two forms of client research These consisted of a questionnaire and a focus group 2 5 1 Questionnaire The questionnaire was designed to be able to access a wide range of the potential client base and consisted of broad RSI and current computer behaviour questions All the questionnaires were fully anonymous and engineered to give an insight as to what current computer users feel and experience The template for the questionnaire used can be found in Appendix H For samples of completed questionnaires please send your enquires to p kindness 06 abderdeen ac uk Aries op 2 5 1 1 Questionnaire Results A brief overview of the questionnaire results can be seen below in Table 2
140. wn in Figure 40 A drop down menu will appear as shown in Figure 41 2 Click on the Posture Guide Button shown in Figure 30 below Ctrl M Ctri R Figure 30 Highlighted Posture Guide Menu Item You can also access the Posture Guide screen using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Control P to display the Posture Guide The Posture Guide will now appear 2 2 Aries Overview You will then be presented with the system s main graphical user interface An overview of the system features are be shown in Figure 31 User s Usage Tab User s Stretches Tab Clock File menu About menu User s Action Tab System s Settings Tab User s Windows Tab Aries File About Actions Ki Settings Stretches Windows 3a Keys Pressed Mouse moved 2401 89cm Mouse Clicks Window Controls Minimise Maximize and close 11 59 53 Posture guide Stretches Pop Up Current Work Intensity 2 Displays the user s current work intensity Posture Guide Button Figure 31 Aries Overview 2 3 Setting the times for the scheduled breaks Rest Break Button You can set the times that they wish to take your breaks throughout the day The system allows for you to set reminders for three breaks These are a morning break lunch break and when it is the end of the day A4 Aries op 1 Locate and
141. x The language that was decided upon had to be in widespread use and have ample documentation available so that in the future the system could be developed further by other developers The following Object Oriented programming languages where considered and the evaluation by comparing and contrasting these languages is shown in Table 13 Language Platform Owning body Open Support Experience Notes source CH Windows Microsoft No Available None There is support Only available through the open source mono project Not all CH ss Aries op features are fully documented here however C Platform Many Varies Widely used Limited For every Independent Implementations with substantial platform the documentation source code available needs to be recompiled Different implementations support different features Java Platform Sun Microsystems Yes Current with Extensive Wide support on Independent now owned by vast amounts of any platform that Oracle documentation is able to run a available Java Virtual Machine JVM Apple Mac support is typically six months behind that of current release Table 13 Comparison of Object Oriented Programming Languages As Java fulfils all the system requirements combined with being the language have must had experience with Java is the language have chosen to develop my project in However later discovered
142. y Selecting an hour for the End of PASSED Hour Combo the Day break End of the Day Box break should appear at this hour GUI Settings Tab End ofthe Day Selecting an minute for the End PASSED Minute Combo of the Day break End of Day Box break should appear at this minute past the hour GUI Settings Tab End ofthe Day Selecting an AMPM for the End PASSED AMPM Combo of the Day break End of day Box break should appear before or after noon GUI Settings Tab System Change the sliders value PASSED Strictness Slider systems time period between the breaks should change accordingly GUI Settings Tab Save Settings The settings show have now PASSED Button taken effect GUI Posture Guide The Posture Guide should PASSED Button appear GUI Stretches Pop The Rest Break window should PASSED up Button appear GUI About Menu Help Button The Help window will appear PASSED item GUI About Menu RSI FAQ The RSI FAQ window will PASSED item Button appear GUI About Menu Help Button The Help window will appear PASSED item GUI File Menu Micro Break A micro Break will appear PASSED Button GUI File Menu Quit button The Aries System will exit PASSED Aries op GUI Cross at the top The Aries system will be hidden PASSED of the window Aries icon Right click on A pop up menu will appear PASSED Notifica
143. y is completely voluntary The session will be recorded in print as to allow further analysis of answers to be carried out at a later date 2 Discussion Guidelines The aim of this discussion is to be informal so there is no need to wait for me to call on you to respond encourage you to respond directly to comments made by the other members of the group as they respond If you do not fully understand one of the questions then please do not hesitate in letting me know am here to ask questions listen and make sure everyone has a chance to share his or her view If you seem to be struggling on a tropic may interrupt you and if you if you have yet to respond may call on you directly This is in order to make sure that obtain everyone s perspective and opinion Everyone s identities participation and remarks will be kept private so encourage you to speak freely and honestly 3 Introductory Questions Although all members of the focus group know one and other the following introductory questions were asked to both introduce myself to the group and learn about them and also to just break the ice and get the discussion started Get all participants to introduce themselves Name Job Title 4 Knowledge of RSI Ask the participants whether they know what RSI is and where they have had experienced any RSI related symptoms before whether this is in the workplace or not Invite discussion on any types of symptoms mention
144. you close the Aries interface by clicking on the cross at the top right of the screen the system will continue to monitor you in the background A18 Aries op When the Aries is launched it will appear in the systems notification area shown here in Figure 70 3p Figure 70 Aries Icon in the Notification Area Linux and Windows To reopen the Aries application 1 Right click on the Aries icon show in Figure 70 The pop up shown here in Figure 71 will appear Exit Open Figure 71 Notification Icon Pop up 2 Left click on the Open option in the popup menu The main Aires interface should now appear 2 15 Quitting Aries To quit the Aries Application 1 Left click on the File Menu shown previously in Figure 40 2 Left click on the Quit Menu item shown below in Figure 72 File About V Posture Guide Ctri P MicroBreak Ctrl M AA A Rest Break unc Figure 72 Quit Menu Item A19 Aries op You can also quit the application at anytime using a keyboard short key 1 When Aries is open press Alt Q to exit the Aries application If Aries interface is closed you can still terminate the application 1 Right click on the Aries icon show in Figure 70 The pop up shown in Figure 71 will appear 2 Click on the Exit option in the popup menu The Aries system will now clos

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