Session: MR-02-01 - Theoretical & Computational Kinematics (A.T. Yang Symposium)

Paper Number: 90056

90056 - Interactive Visualization of Spatial Triangles 

This article presents a novel software tool for the interactive visualization of spatial triangles. These triangles serve as the geometric foundation for spatial mechanism design; both synthesis and analysis. Moreover, the conceptualization and visualization of triangles facilitate the mastery of the synthesis and analysis of spatial mechanisms. This interactive visualization tool has been developed to facilitate the teaching and learning of spatial mechanisms at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The trigonometry employed and the interactive MATLAB implementation are presented. It is hoped that the dissemination of this software tool will facilitate the learning and advancement of spatial mechanism design techniques.

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This article presents a novel software tool for the interactive visualization of spatial triangles. These triangles serve as the geometric foundation for spatial mechanism design; both synthesis and analysis. Moreover, the conceptualization and visualization of triangles facilitate the mastery of the synthesis and analysis of spatial mechanisms. This interactive visualization tool has been developed to facilitate the teaching and learning of spatial mechanisms at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The trigonometry employed and the interactive MATLAB implementation are presented. It is hoped that the dissemination of this software tool will facilitate the learning and advancement of spatial mechanism design techniques.

Presenting Author: Pierre Larochelle South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Presenting Author Biography: Pierre Larochelle serves as Department Head and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Previously he served as an Associate Dean and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the design of complex robotic mechanical systems and enabling creativity and innovation in design. He is the founding director of the RObotics and Computational Kinematics INnovation (ROCKIN) Laboratory, has over 100 publications, holds three US patents, and serves as a consultant on robotics, automation, machine design, creativity & innovation, and computer-aided design. In 2012 at NASA’s request he created a 3-day short course on Creativity & Innovation. This course has been very well received and he has taught it exclusively more than 30 times at NASA’s various centers and laboratories across the nation to more than 600 of NASA scientists and engineers. He currently serves as the Chair of the U.S. Committee on the Theory of Mechanisms & Machine Science and represents the U.S. in the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism & Machine Science (IFToMM) (2016-22). He serves as a founding Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Autonomous Vehicles and Systems (2020-23). Moreover, he serves on the Executive Committee of ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and as an ABET Accreditation Visit Team Chair. He has served as Chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division (2018-2019), the ASME Mechanisms & Robotics Committee (2010-2014), and as an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Mechanisms & Robotics (2013-19), the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design (2005-11), and for Mechanics Based Design of Structures & Machines (2006-13). He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a Senior Member of IEEE, and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, ASEE, and the Order of the Engineer.

Authors:

Pierre Larochelle South Dakota School of Mines & Technology