Integrated Computer-Aided Mechanical Design with Configuration Spaces

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An integrated computational environment for computer-aided mechanical design will be developed and tested. The environment will support the key design tasks of function validation, dynamical simulation, parametric design, and functional tolerancing for a broad range of mechanical assemblies, such as camera shutter mechanisms, part feeders, robotic arms, and computer housings. The research will address the fundamental task of computing the effects of part contacts on function. Contact analysis is difficult and time-consuming even for experienced designers due to the quantity and complexity of the contact constraints in modern assemblies. The difficulty is greatest in assemblies with multiple contacts, meaning that different parts interact at various stages of the work cycle. There is no general purpose software for contact analysis. Contact analysis will be studied within the configuration space representation of mechanical function. Configuration space computation algorithms will be extended to the full range of planar assemblies and to selected spatial assemblies. Algorithmic support will be developed for the design tasks via configuration space manipulation. The software will emphasize breadth of coverage, depth of analysis, and robustness.