Kinematic diagram
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In mechanical engineering, a kinematic diagram or kinematic scheme (also called a joint map or skeleton diagram) illustrates the connectivity of links and joints of a mechanism or machine rather than the dimensions or shape of the parts. Often links are presented as geometric objects, such as lines, triangles or squares, that support schematic versions of the joints of the mechanism or machine.[1]
For example, the figures show the kinematic diagrams (i) of the slider-crank that forms a piston and crank-shaft in an engine, and (ii) of the first three joints for a PUMA manipulator.
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| PUMA robot | and its kinematic diagram |
A kinematic diagram can be formulated as a graph by representing the joints of the mechanism as vertices and the links as edges of the graph. This version of the kinematic diagram has proven effective in enumerating kinematic structures in the process of machine design.[2]
An important consideration in this design process is the degree of freedom of the system of links and joints, which is determined using the Chebychev–Grübler–Kutzbach criterion.