Spacebar: kinematic design by computer graphics

Abstract

SUMMARYThe development of kinematic mechanisms on the design board is often an extremely complex and time-consuming task. It was this impetus which led to the development of the interactive graphics program SPACEBAR at Lockheed* The SPACEBAR program allows the direct design and analysis of mechanisms right at the terminal screen. All variables including linkage geometry, stiffnesa, and applied loading conditions can be input and/or changed from the terminal. All data can be described and displayed in three dimensions. All mechanism configurations can be cycled through their range of travel and viewed in their various geometric positions, again in three dimensions. Output data Includes geometric positioning in orthogonal coordinates of each node point In the mechanism, velocity and acceleration of the mechanism node points throughout its range of travel, and internal loads and displacements of the Individual node points and linkages. All analysis calculations are performed at the scope and take, at most, a few seconds to complete. Output data can be viewed at the scope and also printed at the discretion of the user.