Design of Ergonomic Handle and Compatible Cones : Ergonomic Sport Equipment with Efficient Cone Management

This thesis project was made in collaboration with the companies Invencon and Devcone, with the purpose to improve an existing sports tool, a cone picker designed to efficiently collect and release training cones. The focus areas of the project include ergonomics, user experience, and sustainability. The development involved designing an ergonomic handle and cones made from environmentally friendly material, ensuring compatibility with the cone picker system. The process of the project was based on function- and user testing, ergonomic evaluations, and data collection through literature reviews, interviews, and surveys. The final design of the handle resulted in an upward-angled grip with an integrated lever, shaped according to the hand’s natural form and supported by anthropometric data, to help reduce physical strain while providing comfort and stability during use. For the cone, linear low-density polyethylene was selected based on its flexibility, durability, and relatively low environmental impact. Dimensions were adjusted to fit the picker, and applications such as spacing between cones and controlled sliding resistance were implemented to increase the user experience.