20.500.12556/DKUM-95866 Bioinspired design of ergonomic tool handles using 3D-printed cellular metamaterials The design of ergonomic tool handles is crucial for user comfort and performance, yet conventional stiff materials often lead to uneven pressure distribution and discomfort. This study investigates the application of 3D-printed cellular metamaterials with tunable stiffness, specifically gyroid structures, to enhance the ergonomic and haptic properties of tool handles. We employed finite element analysis to simulate finger–handle interactions and conducted subjective comfort evaluations with participants using a foxtail saw with handles of varying gyroid infill densities and a rigid PLA handle. Numerical results demonstrated that handles with medium stiffness significantly reduced peak contact pressures and promoted a more uniform pressure distribution compared to the stiff PLA handle. The softest gyroid handle, while compliant, exhibited excessive deformation, potentially compromising stability. Subjective comfort ratings corroborated these findings, with medium-stiffness handles receiving the highest scores for overall comfort, fit, and force transmission. These results highlight that a plateau-like mechanical response of the 3D-printed cellular metamaterial handle, inversely bioinspired by human soft tissue, effectively balances pressure redistribution and grip stability. This bioinspired design approach offers a promising direction for developing user-centered products that mitigate fatigue and discomfort in force-intensive tasks. bioinspired design product ergonomics 3D printing tool handle finite element method user comfort cellular metamaterials bioinspirirano oblikovanje ergonomija izdelka 3D tiskanje ročaj orodja metoda končnih elementov udobje uporabnika celični metamateriali true false true MDPI Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/8/519 Članek v reviji 2025-11-03 12:27:41 2025-11-03 12:27:41 2025-11-04 03:34:50 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 15 str. iss. 8, [article no.] 519 Vol. 10 Aug. 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2025-06-24 2025-08-06 2025-08-08 331.1:519.6 246391555 10.3390/biomimetics10080519 2313-7673 biomimetics-10-00519_(1).pdf biomimetics-10-00519_(1).pdf 1 18CD7DAC1652FF36D4B61223A7A3A8EF 83c90e9c5092c80cfd0bbfda0c757d336b5efa44f7a8715ec1d370afe7294605 87e4db78-b8a8-11f0-b13b-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=200347 https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/8/519 0 8dab02ae-b8a8-11f0-b13b-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=200349 Fakulteta za strojništvo 0 0 0