Prolonged, repetitive hand movements — like typing, gaming, or assembly work — can cause wrist strain and long-term injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome or RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). However, users lack real-time, actionable feedback about their wrist positioning and ergonomics during everyday activities. Current ergonomic solutions are often reactive (e.g., after pain starts) or too generic (e.g., general posture advice), with no live, personalized monitoring.
We aim to solve this by developing a system that:
Our system is built on scientific research linking wrist posture to carpal tunnel pressure during typing activities. We leverage real-time tracking to help users maintain safer ergonomic positions based on medical data.
Studies show that carpal tunnel pressure increases significantly when the wrist is extended beyond 15°. The highest pressure is observed at 45° of wrist extension during typing, while neutral (0°–15°) angles produce the lowest pressure. Radial deviation (tilting the wrist toward the thumb) at 15° also leads to elevated pressure compared to neutral positioning.
In a study where participants typed for 10–15 minutes, the average wrist extension was 23.4°~ (left) and ~19.9°(right), with an average ulnar deviation of ~14.7° (left) and ~18.6° (right). Over 73% of participants typed with wrist extension greater than 15°, exposing them to heightened risk of ergonomic strain.
Our system continuously monitors wrist angles to help users stay within the safe ergonomic range of 0°–15°. By providing live feedback, we aim to reduce the long-term risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries associated with prolonged typing.
| Risk Factor | Safe Range | Risk Range | Observed Averages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrist Extension | 0°–15° | 30°+ (highest risk at 45°) | ~19°–23° |
| Radial/Ulnar Deviation | 0°–10° | 15°+ Radial/Ulnar | ~14°–18° |
© het.ai | Product of HackTech '25
Benjamin Garcia
Russell Soo
Jonathan Soo
Katelyn Teav