Analysis of Planar Linkages

Abstract

In this chapter we consider assemblies of links that move in parallel planes. Any one of these planes can be used to examine the movement since the trajectories of points in any link can be projected onto this plane without changing their properties. Our focus is on linkages constructed from revolute joints with axes perpendicular to RR, PR, and RP open chains and the closed chains constructed from them, as well as the 3R and RPR planar robots. We determine the configuration of the linkage as a function of the independent joint parameters and the physical dimensions of the links.