Design of a Multi-Function Vector Bar

The University of Delaware Department of Mechanical Engineering curriculum includes a senior design project, where teams address real design challenges facing local firms. The SURVICE Engineering Company tasked a team to design an improved metrology vector bar for use with an indoor global positioning system (iGPS) computer system. This vector bar needed to be ergonomic, easy to use, and easy to manufacture. To fulfill these requirements, metrics for a smaller, lighter, and more ergonomically designed Multi-Function Vector Bar were established. To encompass these metrics, four different subsystems were identified and integrated into a final design. Of these systems, emphasis was placed on a new ergonomic handle designed through an iterative process. New features were added to the handle to facilitate a decrease in human error and an increase in functionality. Multiple handle models were designed and tested to accomplish this. The final handle design resulted in a balanced, lighter, and more comfortable prototype that had two control buttons and indicator lights.