The Mobility Equation and the Solvability of Joint Forces/Torques in Dynamic Analysis

Abstract

The mobility equation has been applied to predict the indeterminacy of unknown joint forces/torques in static analysis. In this paper, the mobility equation is modified to investigate the solvability of joint forces/torques of spatial mechanisms in dynamic analysis. Each factor which may contribute to indeterminacy is discussed and is explicitly expressed in the equation. With the modifications, the mobility equation can be applied to a system with or without redundant actuators. Together with the concept of subspaces and a few simple rules, the mobility equation can be used to identify the solvability of every joint unknown, as well as the equations which are required for the solutions, under the assumption of rigid bodies. This method can be used as a guidance of dynamic analysis in dealing with complicated systems such as walking machines and multi-fingered grippers.