Casio to Release Calculators Designed with the All-New Concept of a Keypad Surface Sloped 3° to the Right

TOKYO, October 6, 2022 — Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today the release of two new Ergonomic Calculators, the JE-12E and DE-12E, both featuring keypad surfaces sloped 3° to the right and keys arranged in a step configuration to facilitate ease of key input using the right hand.

The new JE-12E and DE-12E Ergonomic Calculators are the product of a unique Casio vision: “Making the calculator fit the person, not the person fit the calculator.” Casio applied ergonomic expertise to create an innovative new case and key design, delivering an ideal fit in the hand and making key input easy.

Surveys on how people use calculators and what needs they have led Casio to focus on users who do key input with three to five fingers of their right hand, and the case and key design was optimized for them to facilitate ease of key input. Casio worked with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology to analyze what happens to the hand and fingers when people use a calculator. This included the movements and positions of hands and fingers, the direction in which keys are pressed, and the amount of muscle activity. A focus on the discovery that people’s hands tend to angle outward when they use a calculator then led to a new design with the keypad surface sloped to the right. Beyond delivering easy key input, the designers were also careful to ensure that the new shape still appeared fitting for a calculator. After testing slopes of up to 9°, the developers arrived at 3°. Analysis revealed that, even when using a sloped calculator, however, the keystroke direction stayed vertical. The all-new Ergonomic Step Keys structure was developed in response, arranging the keys in a step configuration to maintain the vertical keystroke direction. This provides an ideal fit for the fingers of the right hand and allows the calculator to be used with a natural hand position. In trials using prototypes, 83% of users reported “Easier key input than conventional calculators.*”
* Contracted survey conductor: ASMARQ Co., Ltd.

Curves are incorporated into the design to give the calculator a natural, rounded look, and ripple-patterned grooves added to the back of the case provide a great grip.

Main Features of the New Ergonomic Calculators

Thorough analysis of what happens to the hand and fingers was conducted with a specialized institute

Surveys were conducted regarding the ways people use calculators and what needs they have. The results led to the concept of developing a calculator that would make key input with three to five fingers of the right hand easier than ever before. To analyze exactly what happens to the hand and fingers when people use a calculator, Casio joined forces with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

Ergonomic Step Keys make key input with a natural hand position easy

While people’s hands tend to angle outward when they use a calculator, the keystroke direction stays vertical. A focus on this discovery led to a new design featuring a keypad surface sloped 3°, unlike conventional models with flat surfaces, as well as Ergonomic Step Keys, a new structure that arranges the keys in a step configuration so that the keystroke direction stays vertical.

Soft, rounded design attractively complements the 3° slope

Curves incorporated into the design give the calculator a naturally rounded, soft look. With ripple-patterned grooves added to the back of the case to ensure a great grip as well, the meticulous passion for design is readily apparent.

Main Specifications