Mechanical Design for BME
Position, Posture, and Displacement
BME
3rd year class Dr. Alaa, 2025
In analyzing motion, the first and most basic problem encountered is that of defining and
dealing with the concepts of position, posture, and displacement.
LOCUS OF A MOVING POINT
Where is the point, or what is its location?
Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) of point P.
Cylindric coordinates (r, θ, z)
spheric coordinates (R, θ, ϕ),
The direction cosines for locating point P are defined as
One means of expressing the motion of a point, or particle, is to define its components
along the reference axes as functions of some parameter, such as time:
x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t)
This is the general case for the motion of a point, or particle
LOCUS OF A MOVING POINT
EXAMPLE
Describe the motion of a particle, P whose position changes with time according to
the equations x = acos2πt, y = asin2πt, and z = bt.
This curve, representing the successive positions of the point, is called the path
or locus of the moving point in the reference coordinate system.
If three coordinates are necessary to describe the path of a moving point, the point is said
to have spatial motion
If the path can be described by only two coordinates
one coordinate is always zero or constant—the path lies in a
single plane, and the point is said to have planar motion
the path of the point is a straight
single coordinate
line, and the point is said to have rectilinear motion.
LOCUS OF A MOVING POINT
the path of the point is a straight line, and the point is said to requires three position coordinates
have rectilinear motion.
a point whose locus is a planar curve requires two coordinates
point whose locus is a straight line (rectilinear motion) requires only one coordinate
POSITION OF A POINT
The physical process involved in observing the position of a point
Two properties are noted:
the distance from O to P (based on the unit distance
or grid size of the reference coordinate system)
he relative angular orientation of line OP
in the coordinate system.
the position of a point as the vector from the
origin of a specified reference coordinate system to the point
POSITION OF A POINT
Often it is convenient to express the position vector in terms of
its components along the coordinate axes:
the magnitude of the position vector is
The unit vector in the direction of RPO
the position difference to point P from point Q;
every position vector is defined relative to a second point
APPARENT POSITION OF A POINT
If observer 1, using the primary coordinate system x1y1z1
These position
observer 2, using the secondary coordinate system x2y2z2 vectors are related by
the position of P as seen by observer 1 using coordinate system x1y1z1, Then RPO1/1 is use,
or, since O1 is the origin for this observer, so RP/1 or RP can be used.
The observations made by observer 2, in coordinate system x2y2z2, are denoted as
RPO2/2 or RP/2
these components must be transformed into the equivalent components along the x1y1z1 axes before the addition is
actually performed; that is,
to choose one of the coordinate systems as primary. This
primary coordinate system is commonly referred to as the
absolute coordinate system.
Most often this is the coordinate system in which the
final result is to be expressed, and this coordinate
system is usually stationary
POSTURE OF A RIGID BODY
The location and orientation of a coordinate system fixed to the body with respect to a
stationary reference, or coordinate system, describes the posture of that body.
The term posture becomes even more suitable when dealing with a mechanism or
multibody mechanical system, because we are not concerned with the position of only a
single point or the position and orientation of only a single rigid body, but we wish to
describe the positions and orientations of the assembly of rigid bodies. We use the term
posture to describe the location and orientation of a rigid body or for the configuration of
a mechanism, including both the locations and orientations of every link, all at a particular
instant in time.
LOOP-CLOSURE EQUATIONS
The assumption that each link is rigid ensures that the position
of any point is determined precisely relative to any other point
on the same link.
four pinned joints A, B, C, and D, and we identify the
appropriate points on link 1 as A1 and D1, those on link 2 as A2
and B2, and so on.
LOOP-CLOSURE EQUATIONS
Definition of position-difference vectors RAD on link 1,
RBA on link 2, RCB on link 3, and RDC on link 4.
the magnitude and direction of each vector can be
obtained from the constant dimensions of that link.
link 1 is the frame, absolute positions are those defined
relative to an observer in coordinate system 1.
Point A1 is, of course, at the position described by RA.
Next, we connect link 2 to link 1 (mathematically) by
writing
LOOP-CLOSURE EQUATIONS
This important equation is called the loop-closure equation, or
the vector loop equation, for the clamp.
this linkage forms a closed loop.
the polygon formed by the position-difference vectors through
successive links and joints must remain closed as the linkage
moves.
The rotations between successive vectors indicate the motions
within the pinned joints.
This equation forms a mathematical description, or model, of the linkage,
the form of the loop-closure equation depends on the type of mechanism.
LOOP-CLOSURE EQUATIONS
Geneva mechanism or Maltese cross,
This form of the loop-closure equation is a valid mathematical
model only while roller C remains in the slot along the x2 axis.
A mechanism can, of course, be composed of a multiple-loop
kinematic chain.
ALGEBRAIC POSTURE ANALYSIS
Slider-Crank Linkage
By making the offset or eccentricity e = RO2O = 0, the resulting
equations can be used for the in-line (on-center or symmetric)
version.
the input crank angle θ2 is measured around the origin of
vector r2 = RAO2
the connecting rod angle θ3 is measured around the origin of vector r3 = RAB.
Problem: Given the input crank angle θ2, find the connecting rod angle θ3 and the
position xB.
ALGEBRAIC POSTURE ANALYSIS
Problem 1: Given the input crank angle θ2, find the
connecting rod angle θ3 and the position xB.
First, we define the position of point A by the equations
Next, we note that
so that
From the geometry we see that
Substituting into the trigonometric identity
Here the negative sign corresponds to an obtuse angle for θ3 when measured around point B
ALGEBRAIC POSTURE ANALYSIS
Four-Bar Linkage
The cosine law for each of the two triangles AO2O4 and ABO4
can then be written in terms of the angles and link lengths; that
is,
when θ2 is in the range 0 ≤ θ2 ≤ π, the unknown angles are
However, when θ2 is in the range π ≤ θ2 ≤ 2π, then
In these results, the upper signs correspond to the open posture,
whereas the lower signs correspond to the crossed posture.
COMPLEX-ALGEBRAIC SOLUTIONS
OF PLANAR VECTOR EQUATIONS
In planar problems, it is often desirable to express a vector by specifying its magnitude
and orientation in polar notation:
COMPLEX POLAR ALGEBRA
Another method of treating two-dimensional vector problems
analytically makes use of complex algebra.
Case 1
Complex numbers are commonly used in planar analysis
because of the ease with which they can be changed into polar
form. Employing complex rectangular notation for
vector R, we can write
But using the well-known Euler equation from trigonometry, C = A+B.
sub
we can also write R in complex polar form as
Then, equating the real terms and the imaginary terms separately
COMPLEX POLAR ALGEBRA
The unknown angle θC can be eliminated by squaring and
adding these two equations
Dividing these equations
COMPLEX POLAR ALGEBRA
Case 2
the two unknowns are A and θB. One convenient way of solving
this case, in complex polar form is to first divide below equation
by ejθA
Case 3
the two unknowns are the magnitudes A and B.
COMPLEX POLAR ALGEBRA
Case 4
the two unknowns are θA and θB
this as the law of cosines for the vector triangle.
The plus or minus signs in these two equations are a reminder
that the arccosines are each double-valued
case 4 has two distinct solutions
POSTURE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
Consider a sliding-block linkage in the posture illustrated in the Fig.
Perform the posture analysis; that is, find θ4 and distance RAO4 .
Analytic approach
POSTURE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
Consider a sliding-block linkage in the posture illustrated in the Fig.
Perform the posture analysis; that is, find θ4 and distance RAO4 .
Complex-algebraic approach
DISPLACEMENT OF A MOVING POINT
The displacement of the point during the time interval is defined
as the net change in position
Note that this displacement is a vector quantity having the
magnitude and direction of the vector from point P to point Pʹ.
The magnitude of this vector is not necessarily equal to the
length of the path (the distance traveled)
its direction is
not necessarily along the tangent to the path
the displacement depends only on the net change in position and
not on the particular path taken.
DISPLACEMENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO POINTS
the two moving points are both fixed in the same rigid body
the position difference between the two points P and Q at the
initial instant is
the displacement difference between the two points is defined as
the net difference between their respective displacements and can be written as
A different interpretation can be obtained from the above equation
This equation corresponds to the vector triangle
TRANSLATION AND ROTATION
Translation is defined as a motion of a body for
which the displacement difference between any two
points P and Q in the body is zero
which states that the displacements of any two points in the
As it does so, the body rotates so that
body are equal.
Rotation is a motion of a body for which different points of the
the displacements RP and RQ are not equal.
body exhibit different displacements.
there is no change of angular orientation between the moving
coordinate system and the coordinate system
rotations cannot be treated as vectors
APPARENT ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT
If there is no slipping between bodies 2 and 3,
then the arc lengths of the two gear sectors that pass the arm at
the point of contact must be equal. That is, if ρ2 is the radius of
gear 2 and ρ3 is the radius of gear 3, then
where θ2/4 and θ3/4 are the angular displacements of gears 2 and 3
negative sign accounts for the difference in the senses
of the two apparent rotations.
Using these ideas, the loop-closure equations for mechanisms
having rolling contact without slipping can be solved.