Kinematic Analysis of Planar Mechanisms by Means of Examples

The aim of this work is to approach the difficulties students usually encounter when facing up to kinematic analysis of mechanisms. A deep understanding of the kinematic analysis is necessary to go a step further into design and synthesis of mechanisms. We can conclude from experience that supporting and complementing the theoretical lectures with specific software is really helpful. In this sense, software is used during the practical exercises, serving as an educational complementary tool reinforcing the knowledge acquired by the students. Several questions are outlined to the students, so that they are encouraged to justify the validity of their results. GIM software performs kinematic analysis and motion simulation of planar mechanisms. The main capacities of the software are: solving the position problem, computing velocities and accelerations, singular analysis, and visualization of instantaneous center of rotation, acceleration pole, curvature center and circle, fixed and moving centrodes and main circles. The graphical representation of all results favors the learning of the theoretical concepts explained in the subject and also, stimulates the critical reasoning the students must acquire.