handleds

Handleds is a term encountered in certain design, engineering, and robotics literatures to denote the graspable interfaces of objects—components intended to be held, pulled, or manipulated by a user. The word is not widely standardized and is typically used descriptively rather than as a formal category. Etymologically, it is a plural form derived from handle, referring to multiple grasp points on an object or collection of objects.

In practice, handleds can include fixed and portable grips, loops, lugs, recessed grips, or molded contours designed for manual manipulation. Designers describe handleds when evaluating usability, safety, and ergonomics, and catalogs may group products by their handled configurations.

Applications appear across a range of fields, including consumer products, furniture, power tools, luggage, and industrial equipment. In robotics and automation, the concept sometimes extends to artificial handles on grippers or tooling interfaces that simulate human-hand grasp for manipulation tasks.

Key design considerations for handleds include ergonomic fit for intended users, load-bearing capacity, distribution of stress to avoid material failure, tactile feedback, surface texture, corrosion resistance, and ease of manufacturing. Variants such as fixed, fold-away, and retractable handleds address storage, transport, or space constraints.

Because usage varies by industry, standardization for the term is limited. See also handle, grip, ergonomic design, and human factors.