The Topological Analysis of Compliant Mechanisms
Abstract Following the topological synthesis of mechanisms, a topological analysis constitutes the second phase of the type-synthesis process. Topological analysis involves investigating distinct ways of specifying inputs, outputs and joint types to satisfy the functional requirements. For compliant mechanisms, the number of possible input combinations is typically much greater than for their rigid-body counterparts. Therefore, a systematic approach to input specification is required. This paper deals primarily with the development of a systematic input specification procedure for compliant mechanisms, while building on the rigid-body type-synthesis techniques and the terminology previously established for compliant elements. The techniques developed are straightforward and may be easily automated.