Kinematics Analysis of Mechanisms Based on Virtual Assembly

Currently, virtual assembly technology has attracted increasing attention due to considerations of solving assembly problems in virtual environment before actual assembly in manufactory. Previous studies on kinematic analysis of mechanism only aim at analyzing motion law of single mechanism, but can not simulate the multi-mechanisms motion process at the same time, let alone simulating the automatic assembly process of products in a whole assembly workshop. In order to simulate the assembly process of products in an assembly workshop and provide effective data for analyzing mechanical performance after finishing assembly simulation in virtual environment, this study investigates the kinematics analysis of mechanisms based on virtual assembly. Firstly, in view of the same function of the kinematic pairs and the assembly constraints on restricting the motion of components （subassembly or part）, the method of identifying kinematic pairs automatically based on assembly constraints is presented. The information of kinematic pairs can be obtained through calculating the constraint degree of the assembly constraints. Secondly, the incidence matrix eliminating element method is proposed in order to search the information and establish the models of mechanisms automatically after finishing assembly simulation in virtual environment. Both methods have important significance for reducing the workload of pretreatment and promoting the level of automation of kinematics analysis. Finally, the method of kinematics analysis of mechanisms is presented. Based on Descartes coordinates, three types of kinematics equations are formed. The parameters, like displacement, velocity, and acceleration, can be obtained by solving these equations. All these data are important to analyze mechanical performance. All the methods are implemented and validated in the prototype system virtual assembly process planning（VAPP）. The mechanism models are established and simulated in the VAPP system, and the result curves are shown accurately. The proposed kinematics analysis of mechanisms based on virtual assembly provides an effective method for simulating product assembly process automatically and analyzing mechanical performance after finishing assembly simulation.

Generalized Kinematics Analysis of Hybrid Mechanisms Based on Screw Theory and Lie Groups Lie Algebras

Advanced mathematical tools are used to conduct research on the kinematics analysis of hybrid mechanisms,and the generalized analysis method and concise kinematics transfer matrix are obtained.In this study,first,according to the kinematics analysis of serial mechanisms,the basic principles of Lie groups and Lie algebras are briefly explained in dealing with the spatial switching and differential operations of screw vectors.Then,based on the standard ideas of Lie operations,the method for kinematics analysis of parallel mechanisms is derived,and Jacobian matrix and Hessian matrix are formulated recursively and in a closed form.Then,according to the mapping relationship between the parallel joints and corresponding equivalent series joints,a forward kinematics analysis method and two inverse kinematics analysis methods of hybrid mechanisms are examined.A case study is performed to verify the calculated matrices wherein a humanoid hybrid robotic arm with a parallel-series-parallel configuration is considered as an example.The results of a simulation experiment indicate that the obtained formulas are exact and the proposed method for kinematics analysis of hybrid mechanisms is practically feasible.

Kinematics analysis for obstacle-surmounting capability of a joint double-tracked robot

A double-tracked robot is designed from mechanical and control perspectives,which consists of two segments connected with a swing joint. As the angle between the two segments of the robot platform can be changed,the robot can move like a four-tracked robot on many terrains. The center of gravity（ CG） kinematics model is established,which plays an important role in the process of traveling over obstacles and climbing up stairs. Using this model,the CG change situation and the maximal height of the climbable obstacle are obtained. Then the relationship between the robot pitch angle and the height of the obstacle is established. Finally,a reasonable system structure for the robot is designed and its kinematics analysis for obstacle-surmounting capability is conducted through experiments.

The Kinematics Analysis of Heald Selecting Mechanism of Rotary Electronic Dobby

In order to improve the reliability of the mechanical movement of the rotary electronic dobby, the kinematics analysis of the heald selection mechanism is carried out and the simulation is carried out with Matlab. Firstly, the operation mechanism of the heald selection mechanism is analyzed in detail. The conjugate cam is mapped. The cam profile curve is fitted with cubic spline interpolation. Secondly, based on the overall analysis method and the complex vector method, the kinematics analysis of the key components after the high pair low generation is performed, and the angular displacement and angular velocity of each component are calculated with the rotation of the active cam. Finally, the movement curve diagram is drawn with Matlab, which lays the foundation for the dynamic analysis and in-depth study of the selection mechanism in the future.

Design and Kinematics Analysis of Support Structure for Multi-Configuration Rigid-Flexible Coupled Modular Deployable Antenna

In order to meet the urgent need for diversified and multi-functional deployable antennas in many major national aerospace projects,such as interstellar exploration,the fourth phase of lunar exploration project,and the industrial application of Bei Dou,a deployable antenna structure composed of hexagonal prism and pentagonal prism modules is proposed.Firstly,the arrangement and combination rules of pentagonal prism and hexagonal prism modules on the plane were analyzed.Secondly,the spatial geometric model of the deployable antenna composed of pentagonal prism and hexagonal prism modules was established.The influence of module size on the antenna shape was then analyzed,and the kinematic model of the deployable antenna established by coordinate transformation.Finally,the above model was verified using MATLAB software.The simulation results showed that the proposed modular deployable antenna structure can realize accurate connection between modules,complete the expected deployment and folding functional requirements.It is hoped that this research can provide reference for the basic research and engineering application of deployable antennas in China.

FORWARD KINEMATICS ANALYSIS FOR A NOVEL 5-DOF PARALLEL MECHANISM USING TETRAHEDRON CONFIGURATIONS

Forward kinematics analysis of a novel 5-DOF parallel mechanism using tetrahedron configurations is presented. Such mechanism is suitable to many tasks requiring less than 6 DOFs. It consists of a movable platform connected to the base by five identical 6-DOF active limbs plus one active limb with its DOF being exactly the same as the specified DOF of the movable platform, which leads to its legs＇ topology 4-UPS/UPU. Based on the tetmhedron geometry, both closed-form solution with an extra sensor and numerical method using iterative algorithm are employed to obtain the forward kinematics solutions of the mechanism. Compared with the conventional methods, the proposed closed-form solution has the advantages in automatically avoiding unnecessary complex roots and getting a unique solution for the forward kinematics. Finally, an example shows that the proposed numerical algorithm is so effective that it enables a real-time forward kinematics solution to be achieved and the initial value can be chosen easily.

An approach for determination of lateral limit angle in kinematic planar sliding analysis for rock slopes

Planar sliding is one of the frequently observed types of failure in rock slopes.Kinematic analysis is a classic and widely used method to examine the potential failure modes in rock masses.The accuracy of planar sliding kinematic analysis is significantly influenced by the value assigned to the lateral limit angleγlim.However,the assignment ofγlim is currently used generally based on an empirical criterion.This study aims to propose an approach for determining the value ofγlim in deterministic and probabilistic kinematic planar sliding analysis.A new perspective is presented to reveal thatγlim essentially influences the probability of forming a potential planar sliding block.The procedure to calculate this probability is introduced using the block theory method.It is found that the probability is correlated with the number of discontinuity sets presented in rock masses.Thus,different values ofγlim for rock masses with different sets of discontinuities are recommended in both probabilistic and deterministic planar sliding kinematic analyses;whereas a fixed value ofγlim is commonly assigned to different types of rock masses in traditional method.Finally,an engineering case was used to compare the proposed and traditional kinematic analysis methods.The error rates of the traditional method vary from 45%to 119%,while that of the proposed method ranges between 1%and 17%.Therefore,it is likely that the proposed method is superior to the traditional one.

Evaluation of slope stability through rock mass classification and kinematic analysis of some major slopes along NH-1A from Ramban to Banihal, North Western Himalayas

The network of Himalayan roadways and highways connects some remote regions of valleys or hill slopes,which is vital for India’s socio-economic growth.Due to natural and artificial factors,frequency of slope instabilities along the networks has been increasing over last few decades.Assessment of stability of natural and artificial slopes due to construction of these connecting road networks is significant in safely executing these roads throughout the year.Several rock mass classification methods are generally used to assess the strength and deformability of rock mass.This study assesses slope stability along the NH-1A of Ramban district of North Western Himalayas.Various structurally and non-structurally controlled rock mass classification systems have been applied to assess the stability conditions of 14 slopes.For evaluating the stability of these slopes,kinematic analysis was performed along with geological strength index(GSI),rock mass rating(RMR),continuous slope mass rating(CoSMR),slope mass rating(SMR),and Q-slope in the present study.The SMR gives three slopes as completely unstable while CoSMR suggests four slopes as completely unstable.The stability of all slopes was also analyzed using a design chart under dynamic and static conditions by slope stability rating(SSR)for the factor of safety(FoS)of 1.2 and 1 respectively.Q-slope with probability of failure(PoF)1%gives two slopes as stable slopes.Stable slope angle has been determined based on the Q-slope safe angle equation and SSR design chart based on the FoS.The value ranges given by different empirical classifications were RMR(37-74),GSI(27.3-58.5),SMR(11-59),and CoSMR(3.39-74.56).Good relationship was found among RMR&SSR and RMR&GSI with correlation coefficient(R 2)value of 0.815 and 0.6866,respectively.Lastly,a comparative stability of all these slopes based on the above classification has been performed to identify the most critical slope along this road.

Cutting force and specific energy for rotary ultrasonic drilling based on kinematics analysis of vibration effectiveness

Rotary ultrasonic drilling(RUD)has become an effective approach for machining advanced composites which are widely using in the field of aeronautics.The cutting kinematics and the corresponding material removal mechanisms are distinct in different drilling areas during RUD.However,these fundamentals have not been fully considered in the existing studies.In this research,two distinct forms of interaction induced by ultrasonic vibration were considered as impact-separation and vibratory lapping between the abrasives and workpiece.And the conditions to guarantee the effectiveness of these interactions were obtained to eliminate diminishing effects of ultrasonic vibration.Based on indentation fracture theory,the penetration depth of abrasives and the axial drilling force model was derived for RUD.The verification tests of C/SiC composites resulted in a prediction error within 15%.Due to the minimal volume of material removed during each vibration cycle,the drilling force was more stable in vibration assisted mode.The specific drilling energy of RUD was firstly calculated based on the measured drilling load.It was found the drilling parameters should be matched with vibration frequency and amplitude to make better usage of the advantages of ultrasonic vibration,which is critical in the vibration assisted processing of advanced materials.

Kinematics Analysis and Experiment of a Cockroach-Like Robot

This article describes the structure of the cockroach-like robot.Both kinematics and locomotion control are inspired by biological observations in cockroaches.Based on cockroach-like robot kinematics analysis,screw theory,and the production-of-exponential (POE) formula,this paper focuses on the inverse kinematics which uses Paden-Kahan sub-problems to obtain directly the displacement of joint angles.The forward kinematics derives the relationship between joint angles according to the natural restrictions.Then,by using the POE formula,it can deduce the body pose and realize online trajectory control and planning.Through simulation and experimentation,it is proved that the straight-line walking and turning gait algorithms have static stability and the inverse kinematics analysis of cockroach-like robot is correct.

KINEMATICS ANALYSIS OF GUIDED CHAIN DRIVE MECHANISM WITH LINKAGES

A method of analyzing the motion of guided chain drive mechanism with linkages is presented. The method studies the output motion of a point on connecting rod including motion track, velocity and acceleration.

Design and dynamic analysis of a scissors hoop-rib truss deployable antenna mechanism

As the support mechanism of space-borne antennas,space deployable antenna mechanism belongs to complex multi-closed-loop coupling mechanism,configuration design and dynamic analysis are more difficult than general parallel mechanism.In this paper,an unequal-length scissors mechanism(ULSM)is proposed by changing the position of the internal rotational joint through a basic scissors mechanism.A scissors hoop-rib truss deployable antenna mechanism(SHRTDAM)is constructed by replacing the parabolic rib with the ULSM.Kinematic analysis of SHRTDAM is conducted,and the degree of freedom(DOF)of the whole antenna mechanism is analyzed based on screw theory,the result showed that it has only one DOF.Velocity and acceleration characteristics of SHRTDAM are obtained by the screw derivative and rotation transformation.Based on Lagrange equation,dynamic model of this mechanism is established,the torque required to drive the mechanism is simulated and verified by Adams and MATLAB software.In addition,a ground experiment prototype of 1.5-m diameter was fabricated and a deployment test is conducted,which demonstrated the mobility and deployment performance of the whole mechanism.The mechanism proposed in this paper can provide a good reference for the design and analysis of large aperture space deployable antennas.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of A Vertical-Axis Eccentric-disc Variable-Pitch Turbine(VEVT)

A combined experimental and numerical investigation is carried out to study the performance of a vertical-axis eccentric-disc variable-pitch turbine(VEVT).A scheme of eccentric disc pitch control mechanism based on doubleblock mechanism is proposed.The eccentric control mechanism and the deflection angle control mechanism in the pitch control structure are designed and optimized according to the functional requirements of the turbine,and the three-dimensional model of the turbine is established.Kinematics analysis of the eccentric disc pitch control mechanism is carried out.Kinematics parameters and kinematics equations which can characterize its motion characteristics are derived.Kinematics analysis and simulation are carried out,and the motion law of the corresponding mechanical system is obtained.By analyzing the force and motion of blade of VEVT,the expressions of the important parameters such as deflection angle,attack angle and energy utilization coefficient are obtained.The lateral induced velocity coefficient is acquired by momentum theorem,the hydrodynamic parameters such as energy utilization coefficient are derived,and the hydrodynamic characteristics of VEVT are also obtained.The experimental results show that the turbine has good energy capture capability at different inflow velocities of different sizes and directions,which verifies that VEVT has good self-startup performance and high energy capture efficiency.

Analysis and Simulation of Kinematical Performances of Two Kinds of Parallel Mechanisms Based on the Plane Sprayer

Two kinds of 2-dof parallel mechanisms are proposed in this paper which can be used as the actuator for the plane sprayer. The direct and inverse kinematics solutions of the two kinds of mechanisms are derived on the end operating point and two workspaces are analyzed and compared. The kinematics models of the end operating point of two mechanisms are simulated by Matlab examples obtaining variation of kinematics parameters of these two mechanisms. The research of this paper provides the basis for the selection of mechanism, trajectory planning of the end operating point on the sprayer and often some practical value for trajectory analysis and structure design of the plane sprayer.

Biological Jumping Mechanism Analysis and Modeling for Frog Robot

This paper presents a mechanical model of jumping robot based on the biological mechanism analysis of frog. By biological observation and kinematic analysis the frog jump is divided into take-offphase, aerial phase and landing phase. We find the similar trajectories of hindlimb joints during jump, the important effect of foot during take-off and the role of forelimb in supporting the body. Based on the observation, the frog jump is simplified and a mechanical model is put forward. The robot leg is represented by a 4-bar spring/linkage mechanism model, which has three Degrees of Freedom （DOF） at hip joint and one DOF （passive） at tarsometatarsal joint on the foot. The shoulder and elbow joints each has one DOF for the balancing function of arm. The ground reaction force of the model is analyzed and compared with that of frog during take-off. The results show that the model has the same advantages of low likelihood of premature lift-off and high efficiency as the frog. Analysis results and the model can be employed to develop and control a robot capable of mimicking the jumping behavior of frog.

Kinematic Analysis and Experimental Verification on the Locomotion of Gecko

This paper presents a kinematic analysis of the locomotion of a gecko,and experimental verification of the kinematic model.Kinematic analysis is important for parameter design,dynamic analysis,and optimization in biomimetic robot research. The proposed kinematic analysis can simulate,without iteration,the locomotion of gecko satisfying the constraint conditions that maintain the position of the contacted feet on the surface.So the method has an advantage for analyzing the climbing motion of the quadruped mechanism in a real time application.The kinematic model of a gecko consists of four legs based on 7-degrees of freedom spherical-revolute-spherical joints and two revolute joints in the waist.The motion of the kinematic model is simulated based on measurement data of each joint.The motion of the kinematic model simulates the investigated real gecko's motion by using the experimental results.The analysis solves the forward kinematics by considering the model as a combination of closed and open serial mechanisms under the condition that maintains the contact positions of the attached feet on the ground. The motions of each joint are validated by comparing with the experimental results.In addition to the measured gait,three other gaits are simulated based on the kinematic model.The maximum strides of each gait are calculated by workspace analysis.The result can be used in biomimetic robot design and motion planning.

Analysis of the Meshing of Crown Gear Coupling

This paper presents an analysis result of three-dimensional meshing of crown gear coupling （CGC） surfaces of crown gear and internal gear are established. The equation of internal gear surface is given. The equation of conjugate surface of crown gear is solved according to the principle of gearing, and that of non-conjugate crown gear is derived with crown curve of a circular arc. The meshing state of conjugate and non-conjugate surfaces is analyzed through computation of contact lines and points. It is concluded that the meshing of conjugate CGC is line-contact, there are several pairs of teeth engage simultaneously, and non-conjugate CGC has point-contact condition of meshing and only 2 pairs of teeth engage in theory.

A Hyper-redundant Elephant’s Trunk Robot with an Open Structure:Design,Kinematics,Control and Prototype

As for the complex operational tasks in the unstructured environment with narrow workspace and numerous obstacles,the traditional robots cannot accomplish these mentioned complex operational tasks and meet the dexterity demands.The hyper-redundant bionic robots can complete complex tasks in the unstructured environments by simulating the motion characteristics of the elephant’s trunk and octopus tentacles.Compared with traditional robots,the hyper-redundant bionic robots can accomplish complex tasks because of their flexible structure.A hyper-redundant elephant’s trunk robot(HRETR)with an open structure is developed in this paper.The content includes mechanical structure design,kinematic analysis,virtual prototype simulation,control system design,and prototype building.This design is inspired by the flexible motion of an elephant’s trunk,which is expansible and is composed of six unit modules,namely,3UPS-PS parallel in series.First,the mechanical design of the HRETR is completed according to the motion characteristics of an elephant’s trunk and based on the principle of mechanical bionic design.After that,the backbone mode method is used to establish the kinematic model of the robot.The simulation software SolidWorks and ADAMS are combined to analyze the kinematic characteristics when the trajectory of the end moving platform of the robot is assigned.With the help of ANSYS,the static stiffness of each component and the whole robot is analyzed.On this basis,the materials of the weak parts of the mechanical structure and the hardware are selected reasonably.Next,the extensible structures of software and hardware control system are constructed according to the modular and hierarchical design criteria.Finally,the prototype is built and its performance is tested.The proposed research provides a method for the design and development for the hyper-redundant bionic robot.

Kinematic,Workspace and Force Analysis of A Five-DOF Hybrid Manipulator R(2RPR)R/SP+RR

In the present study,the over-constrained hybrid manipulator R(2RPR)R/SP+RR is considered as the research objective.In this paper,kinematics of the hybrid manipulator,including the forward and inverse position,are analyzed.Then,the workspace is checked based on the inverse position solution to evaluate whether the workspace of the hybrid manipulator meets the requirements,and the actual workspace of the hybrid robot is analyzed.After that,the force analysis of the over-constrained parallel mechanism is carried out,and an ADAMS-ANSYS rigid-flexible hybrid body model is established to verify the simulation.Based on the obtained results from the force analysis,the manipulator structure is designed.Then,the structure optimization is carried out to improve the robot stiffness.Finally,calibration and workspace verification experiments are performed on the prototype,cutting experiment of an S-shaped aluminum alloy workpiece is completed,and the experiment verifies the machining ability of the prototype.This work conducts kinematics,workspace,force analyses,structural optimization design and experiments on the over-constrained hybrid manipulator R(2RPR)R/SP+RR,providing design basis and technical support for the development of the novel hybrid manipulator in practical engineering.

Slope mass rating and kinematic analysis of slopes along the national highway-58 near Jonk, Rishikesh, India

The ro ad n etw o rk in th e H im alayan terrain , connecting re m o te areas e ith e r in th e valleys o r on th e hillslopes, plays a pivotal role in socio-econom ic d e v elo p m en t ofIn d ia. The planning, d ev elo p m en t an d evenm ain ten an ce o f ro ad an d rail netw o rk s in such precarious terrain s are alw ays a challenging task becauseo f com plexities p osed by topography, geological stru ctu res, varied lithology an d neotectonics. Increasingp o p u latio n an d c o n stru ctio n o f roads have led to destab ilisatio n o f slopes, th u s leading to m ass w astingand m ovem ent, fu rth e r aggravation d u e to recen t events o f cloud bu rsts and u n p re c e d e n te d flash floods.V ulnerability analysis o f slopes is an im p o rta n t co m p o n e n t for th e ＂Landslide H azard A ssessm ent＂ and＂Slope Mass C h aracterisation＂ guide p lan n ers to p red ict an d choose suitable w ays for c o n stru ctio n ofroads and o th e r en g in eerin g stru ctu res. The pro b lem o f landslides along th e n ational highw ay-58 （NH-58） from Rishikesh to D evprayag is a co m m o n scene. The slopes along th e NH-58 b e tw e e n Jonk andRishikesh w ere investigated, w h ich experienced v ery heavy traffic especially from M arch to A ugust dueto pilgrim age to K edarnath shrine. On th e basis o f slope m ass rating （SMR） investigation, th e area falls instable class, an d landslide susceptibility score （LSS） values also indicate th a t th e slopes u n d e r investigationfall in low to m o d erate v ulnerability to landslide. More atte n tio n s should be paid to th e slopes toachieve g reater safe an d econom ic b enefits along th e highw ay.