Evolving my ergonomic setup (or, my laptop with extra steps)

The post traces four prototypes of a portable ergonomic computer setup. Each version tries to reduce arm and hand pain while making the system lighter, more adjustable, and easier to travel with. The current Tray.One folds in half, fits in an airline personal item bag when loaded, and uses a smaller Corne keyboard with a trackball.

Reading notes

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• Prototype 1 was a heavy, oversized tray that worked only in some chairs and was too large to move around easily.
• Prototype 2 fit in a backpack and worked well on trains, at Recurse Center, and in coffeeshops, but it was still heavy, awkward to load, and too large for a personal item bag.
• Prototype 3 was lighter and thinner, used fabric hinges and hook-and-loop fasteners, but its glue started failing and the thinner base brought back some nerve issues.
• The current Tray.One folds in half, is faster to pack, weighs less, and fits in a personal item bag with the laptop and peripherals.
• The author switched from a Keyboardio Model 100 to a Corne keyboard and added a Ploopy trackball mouse.
• Hook-and-loop fasteners are used to attach peripherals and keep the setup tidy.
• The workshop makes this kind of prototyping possible, and the author says they can make the tray for close to at-cost for people who need it.
• A separate projector mount was made from scrap wood, nuts, bolts, and a hinge so the projector would stay steady when working lying down.