UC Irvine

This paper uses coupler-path synthesis to design four-bar linkage modules that constrains the movement of links in an nR serial chain. The goal is to formulate a general procedure for path-synthesis of a robotic system using four-bar linkages. A desired end-effector trajectory is transformed into a secondary trajectory that is used for nine-point synthesis of a constraining four-bar linkage. This procedure constrains an nR chain to become a 4n-2 bar linkage. An example presents the constraint of a 2R chain to a six-bar that has a prescribed trajectory for an end-effector point.