Kinematic chain

A kinematic chain is a system of rigid bodies linked by hinges. The joints can thereby have different degrees of freedom. A known example of a kinematic chain, the Watt's parallelogram, capable of generating a linear movement by a combination of the pure rotational movement. Kinematic chains are investigated by means of the kinematics and also the gear teaching to their properties.

Kinematic chains can an open structure (tree structure ) have or be closed ( kinematic loop). For example for the first case is a robot arm. The Watt's parallelogram is an example of a kinematic loop.

The arrangement of the joints and the limbs have an influence on the orbits which are described by the individual members. The trajectories are shown through the transmission analysis, while the task is to find a particular trajectory of an appropriate kinematic chain of the mechanism synthesis reserved.

Kinematic chains play an important role in the computer animation of characters, when calculating the motion of industrial robots and similar systems and the analysis of sports movements under koordinativem aspect.