Multibody Mechanics and Visualization

Multibody Mechanics and Visualization appeals to computer-savvy students who will acquire significant skills in mathematical and physical modelling of mechanical systems in the process of producing attractive computer simulations and animations. The approachable style and clear presentation of this text will help readers grasp the essentials of: modeling the kinematics and dynamics of arbitrary multibody mechanisms; formulating a mathematical description of general motions of such mechanisms; implementing the description in a computer-graphics application for the animation/visualization of the movement. Supported in the text in parallel with the theoretical presentation is the simulation and animation application Mambo. The Mambo toolbox enables you to provide these specifications for mechanisms that would pose insurmountable algebraic challenges to manual calculation. Mambo works with the widely operated Maple mathematical software that can be downloaded from the Web and enables students to visualize the mechanical systems described in the text.