This is the proceedings of IFToMM CK 2017, the 7th International Workshop on Computational Kinematics that was held in Futuroscope-Poitiers, France in May 2017. Topics treated include: kinematic design and synthesis, computational geometry in kinematics, motion analysis and synthesis, theory of mechanisms, mechanism design, kinematical analysis of serial and parallel robots, kinematical issues in biomechanics, molecular kinematics, kinematical motion analysis and simulation, geometric constraint solvers, deployable and tensegrity structures, robot motion planning, applications of computational kinematics, education in computational kinematics, and theoretical foundations of kinematics. Kinematics is an exciting area of computational mechanics and plays a central role in a great variety of fields and industrial applications nowadays. Apart from research in pure kinematics, the field deals with problems of practical relevance that need to be solved in an interdisciplinary manner in order for new technologies to develop. The results presented in this book should be of interest for practicing and research engineers as well as Ph.D. students from the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and computer graphics.

Computational kinematics is an enthralling area of science with a rich spectrum of problems at the junction of mechanics, robotics, computer science, mathematics, and computer graphics. The present book collects up-to-date methods as presented during the Fifth International Workshop on Computational Kinematics (CK2009) held at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. The covered topics include design and optimization of cable-driven robots, analysis of parallel manipulators, motion planning, numerical methods for mechanism calibration and optimization, geometric approaches to mechanism analysis and design, synthesis of mechanisms, kinematical issues in biomechanics, balancing and construction of novel mechanical devices, detection and treatment of singularities, as well as computational methods for gear design. The results should be of interest for practicing and research engineers as well as Ph.D. students from the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and computer graphics.

Computational kinematics is an enthralling area of science with a rich spectrum of problems at the junction of mechanics, robotics, computer science, mathematics, and computer graphics. The covered topics include design and optimization of cable-driven robots, analysis of parallel manipulators, motion planning, numerical methods for mechanism calibration and optimization, geometric approaches to mechanism analysis and design, synthesis of mechanisms, kinematical issues in biomechanics, construction of novel mechanical devices, as well as detection and treatment of singularities. The results should be of interest for practicing and research engineers as well as Ph.D. students from the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and computer graphics.

The aim of this book is to provide an account of the state of the art in Com putational Kinematics. We understand here under this term ,that branch of kinematics research involving intensive computations not only of the numer ical type, but also of a symbolic nature. Research in kinematics over the last decade has been remarkably ori ented towards the computational aspects of kinematics problems. In fact, this work has been prompted by the need to answer fundamental question s such as the number of solutions, whether real or complex, that a given problem can admit. Problems of this kind occur frequently in the analysis and synthesis of kinematic chains, when finite displacements are considered. The associated models, that are derived from kinematic relations known as closure equations, lead to systems of nonlinear algebraic equations in the variables or parameters sought. What we mean by algebraic equations here is equations whereby the unknowns are numbers, as opposed to differen tial equations, where the unknowns are functions. The algebraic equations at hand can take on the form of multivariate polynomials or may involve trigonometric functions of unknown angles. Because of the nonlinear nature of the underlying kinematic models, purely numerical methods turn out to be too restrictive, for they involve iterative procedures whose convergence cannot, in general, be guaranteed. Additionally, when these methods converge, they do so to only isolated solu tions, and the question as to the number of solutions to expect still remains.

The aim of this book is to provide an account of the state of the art in Com putational Kinematics. We understand here under this term that branch of kinematics research involving intensive computations not only of the nu merical type, but also of symbolic as well as geometric nature. Research in kinematics over the last decade has been remarkably ori ented towards the computational aspects of kinematics problems. In fact, this work has been prompted by the need to answer fundamental questions such as the number of solutions, whether real or complex, that a given problem can admit as well as computational algorithms to support geo metric analysis. Problems of the first kind occur frequently in the analysis and synthesis of kinematic chains, when fine displacements are considered. The associated models, that are derived from kinematic relations known as closure equations, lead to systems of nonlinear algebraic equations in the variables or parameters sought. The algebraic equations at hand can take the form of multivariate polynomials or may involve trigonometric functions of unknown angles.

Topics of this book span the range from spatial and temporal discretization techniques for contact and impact problems with small and finite deformations over investigations on the reliability of micromechanical contact models over emerging techniques for rolling contact mechanics to homogenization methods and multi-scale approaches in contact problems.

Many physical systems require the description of mechanical interaction across interfaces if they are to be successfully analyzed. Examples in the engineered world range from the design of prosthetics in biomedical engi neering (e. g. , hip replacements); to characterization of the response and durability of head/disk interfaces in computer magnetic storage devices; to development of pneumatic tires with better handling characteristics and increased longevity in automotive engineering; to description of the adhe sion and/or relative slip between concrete and reinforcing steel in structural engineering. Such mechanical interactions, often called contact/impact in teractions, usually necessitate at minimum the determination of areas over which compressive pressures must act to prevent interpenetration of the mechanical entities involved. Depending on the application, frictional be havior, transient interaction of interfaces with their surroundings (e. g. , in termittent stick/slip), thermo-mechanical coupling, interaction with an in tervening lubricant and/or fluid layer, and damage of the interface (i. e. , wear) may also be featured. When taken together (or even separately!), these features have the effect of making the equations of mechanical evolu tion not only highly nonlinear, but highly nonsmooth as well. While many modern engineering simulation packages possess impressive capabilities in the general area of nonlinear mechanics, it can be contended that methodologies typically utilized for contact interactions are relatively immature in comparison to other components of a nonlinear finite element package, such as large deformation kinematics, inelastic material modeling, nonlinear equation solving, or linear solver technology.

A practical approach to the computational methods used to solve real-world dynamics problems Computational dynamics has grown rapidly in recent years with the advent of high-speed digital computers and the need to develop simulation and analysis computational capabilities for mechanical and aerospace systems that consist of interconnected bodies. Computational Dynamics, Second Edition offers a full introduction to the concepts, definitions, and techniques used in multibody dynamics and presents essential topics concerning kinematics and dynamics of motion in two and three dimensions. Skillfully organized into eight chapters that mirror the standard learning sequence of computational dynamics courses, this Second Edition begins with a discussion of classical techniques that review some of the fundamental concepts and formulations in the general field of dynamics. Next, it builds on these concepts in order to demonstrate the use of the methods as the foundation for the study of computational dynamics. Finally, the book presents different computational methodologies used in the computer-aided analysis of mechanical and aerospace systems. Each chapter features simple examples that show the main ideas and procedures, as well as straightforward problem sets that facilitate learning and help readers build problem-solving skills. Clearly written and ready to apply, Computational Dynamics, Second Edition is a valuable reference for both aspiring and practicing mechanical and aerospace engineers.

Image motion processing is important to machine vision systems because it can lead to the recovery of 3D structure and motion. Author Amar Mitiche offers a comprehensive mathematical treatment of this key subject in visual systems research. Mitiche examines the interpretation of point correspondences as well as the interpretation of straight line correspondences and optical flow. In addition, the author considers interpretation by knowledge-based systems and presents the relevant mathematical basis for 3D interpretation.