Simulation system for the design of link mechanisms. Topological and kinematic analyses of mechanisms.

摘要

The computer-based analysis presented in this paper provides an automated generation of kinematic loops and equations of motion necessary for the kinematic analysis of a complex mechanism, and is applicable to an arbitrary mechanism composed of open loops, closed loops, or both. First, all of the links in a mechanism are topologically classified into several types according to the number of joints adjacent to the link. Next, based on graph theory, the topological structure of the whole mechanism is automatically analyzed by using local relations given as input data between the joint and adjacent links. Then, a method for the analysis of displacement, velocity and acceleration of an arbitrary mechanism is presented by using kinematic loops. Finally, the forces and torques acting on joints are analyzed numerically. The proposed method is applied to an industrial robot including a closed loop, and is proven to give a high-accuracy analysis.