Kinematics of Mechanical Systems: Fundamentals, Analysis and Synthesis

The focus is on systems of rigid bodies forming closed loops. The four-bar linkage, representing the foundations of mechanical systems, is given due attention, in its three domains: planar, spherical, and spatial. The book contains six chapters, the first two covering fundamentals for kinematic synthesis, including qualitative synthesis. Chapters 3–5 describe, in full detail, the function, motion, and path syntheses of single-dof linkages. In the last chapter, the synthesis of single-dof complex linkages, including six-bar and ten-bar linkages, is introduced.

The book is suitable for graduate students of mechanical engineering, researchers of mechanism and robot design, and machine design engineers.