MECHENG 4Q03 Lecture : L02 - Definitions.pdf
19 Oct 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Generally design a mechanical system to constrain 5 of the degrees of freedom and then actively control the 6th unconstrained one for a task. A system with a finite number of degrees of freedom (dof) This is going to be our main focus. A discrete system having n dof is governed by n ordinary differential equations (ode: each independent motion requires its own equation, treat each separately but include coupling between equations. Watch out for kinematically coupled degrees of freedom: can be reduced to a simpler equivalent system. Minimum number of truly independent coordinates: approaching a continuous system. Fundamentally every system has as many degrees of freedom as atoms. Lecture 2 definitions: degrees of freedom (dof) The number of kinematically independent coordinates necessary to completely describe the motion of a system: when unconstrained every object has 6 degrees of freedom, continuous system. Distributed masses, springs and dampers: a solid bar. A system of infinite degrees of freedom.
