Mobility of Mechanisms and Robot Manipulators: A Training Manual with Illustrative Examples

This textbook is the result of several decades of teaching mechanism design at various universities and engineering schools. Despite numerous outstanding publications on mechanism mobility, many nuances remain inaccessible to students and are primarily discussed among specialist researchers. This book aims to bridge that gap by presenting the subject in a clear and accessible manner. The techniques for calculating mobility are categorized into different groups: regular mechanisms - including both spatial and planar systems with closed and open kinematic chains, hybrid mechanisms, mechanisms with passive degrees of freedom, and overconstrained mechanisms. The book also explores Assur groups with zero mobility, the structural synthesis of mechanisms, and the impact of singular configurations on the mobility of mechanisms and robot manipulators.To assist comprehension, particular emphasis is placed on examples. The Test Your Skills chapter at the end of the book features 88 exercises, each accompanied by a detailed solution and analysis. The author hopes this textbook will be valuable not only to students but also to doctoral candidates and junior faculty members.ABOUT THE AUTHORSince joining the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Rennes, in 2002, Professor Vigen Arakelian has been teaching kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, mechanical systems design and robotics.In addition to his academic work, he provides expert consultation on complex mechanical systems, delivering high-quality innovative design and engineering solutions based on his extensive research and decades of industrial experience in senior positions. Read more