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A tabu-gradient search is herein presented for optimum synthesis of planar mechanisms. The solution generated by a recency-based, short term memory tabu search is used to start a gradient search to drive the solution ever closer to the global minimum. A brief overview of the tabu-search method is first presented. A tabu-gradient algorithm is then used to synthesize four-bar mechanisms for path generation tasks by way of three examples, including two benchmark examples used before to test other deterministic and intelligent optimization schemes. Compared with the corresponding results generated by other schemes, the tabu-gradient search rendered the most optimal solutions of all.

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A method for the synthesis of four-bar mechanisms to generate closed paths through shape optimization is herein introduced. The objective function is not based on Fourier descriptors, but rather on the cyclic angular deviation (CAD) vector associated with a set of desired points on the curve. A simple method is introduced to account for the starting point shift between the desired CAD and the generated one. Following shape optimization, a simple mathematical approach is devised to properly scale, rotate, and translate the mechanism to the desired configuration. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.

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