Body dynamics
With rigid body dynamics, the kinematics of a system of bodies that form a mechanism can be calculated. Variables include displacements, rotations, load, moments, and inertia. Subsequently, a part of this system (one or multiple bodies) can be taken out of the linked system and analyzed, using a static structural FEA analysis. The results from this analysis consist of displacement, stress, and strain values. With these outcomes it becomes possible to calculate the power required for the displacement of a body, and to manipulate the controls of e.g. a servo motor to optimize the speed of the motion, while reducing the maximum power requirement.
The figure illustrates a movement analysis of a robot arm. The animations firstly show a moving simulation of the robot arm, as illustrated in the figure, and secondly a simulation of rigid/flexible body dynamics.
