Dynamic Path Synthesis and Optimal Control

Abstract

Dynamic Path Synthesis refers to a class of linkage synthesis problems in which constraint paths between specified positions are determined in such a way as to optimize some measure of the resulting dynamic behavior. These problems can be transformed into nonlinear optimal control problems which are generally non-autonomous. The physical nature of the system allows general comments to be made regarding uniqueness, controllability, and singular control. The ideas are developed in the context of a two-link device yielding a fourth order non-linear control problem, for which a numerical example is presented.