Kinematic Analysis of Planar Linkages: Position and Velocity Diagrams

Understanding how mechanical components move is fundamental to machine design and mechanical engineering. This text-based course breaks down the principles of kinematic analysis into clear, manageable concepts. You will gain a practical foundation in analyzing planar linkage mechanisms, enabling you to determine displacements, positions, and velocities for academic coursework and engineering projects. What you'll learn: Understand basic terminology, degrees of freedom, and mechanism classification; Construct position diagrams to track linkage configurations throughout a movement cycle; Determine linear and angular velocities using vector velocity polygons; Calculate displacements and point trajectories in planar mechanisms; Apply systematic analytical and graphical methods to motion analysis; Prepare kinematic data for subsequent dynamic force calculations. The course begins with essential definitions, structural fundamentals, and kinematic pairs before progressing step-by-step through position mapping and velocity vector calculations. Designed for engineering students and technical learners, this course requires only basic high-school algebra and physics. Begin building your foundational expertise in mechanism analysis today.