Online Course Catalog

This course prepares you to

• Model the kinematics and dynamics of an arbitrary multi-body mechanism;

• Formulate a mathematical description of a general motion of the mechanism in terms of sets of descriptive variables and systems of differential equations;

• Implement this description in a computer graphics application for animating and visualizing a desired or observed motion of the mechanism.

This course relies on concepts of problem-based learning to allow you to accumulate theoretical knowledge, develop intuitive insight, and perfect a practical know-how into the modeling, analysis, and visualization of complex mechanical systems and their motions. The problem-based approach encompasses an understanding of the theoretical concepts, the ability to implement this understanding in concrete applications, and the skill to disseminate the results of your efforts in written presentations.

POLICIES

Grading:

Your grade will be a weighted average of your performance on the following required assignments:

• Final animation project (undergraduate credit: 40%, graduate credit: 40%)

• Mid-semester animation project(s) (undergraduate credit: 35 %; graduate credit: 45%)

• Homework (undergraduate credit: 25%; graduate credit: 15%)

A weighted score of 90 or above is guaranteed an A-, 80 or above is guaranteed at least a B-, 70 or above at least C-, and 60 or above at least D-. Grades will not be curved in this course.

Animation and visualization projects:

If you are registered for 3 hours of undergraduate credit, you will be required to complete one mid-semester project, including a written report and a computer animation of a complex mechanical system, and one final project, including a written report and a computer animation of a complex mechanical system. If you are registered for 4 hours of graduate credit, you will be required to complete one additional mid-semester project, including a written report and a computer animation of a complex mechanical system. The projects should be submitted in signed electronic form on Compass by noon on the corresponding due date. You are allowed to discuss the mid-semester and final projects with other students in the class, but must indicate on your reports the identity of any other student with whom substantive discussions were conducted. The written reports and computer code associated with the projects should be entirely your own work.

Homework:

You must submit a signed electronic copy of each regular homework assignment on Compass by noon on the corresponding due date. Late submissions will not be accepted. You are allowed to complete the homework assignments together with other students in the class, but must indicate on those assignments the identity of any other student with whom the assignment was completed.

Participation:

You must submit a signed electronic copy of one worksheet for each act of the 12 video lectures on Compass by noon on the corresponding due date. Your worksheet should show some work you did during your study of this video, for example your answer to a question or exercise posed during the video. You are encouraged to complete your worksheets together with one other student in the class, but must indicate on those worksheets the identity of this student. The worksheets do not count toward your grade, but are a record of your engagement with the course material.

Challenge problems:

Bonus credit may be obtained by submitting a signed electronic copy for one or several optional challenge assignments, worth 2 points each, on Compass by noon on the corresponding due date. Late submissions will not be accepted. You are not allowed to discuss or complete challenge assignments with anyone else, nor make use of any reference material other than the course text.

Consulting with the instructor:

You are strongly encouraged to discuss course-related questions with the instructor by making a separate appointment, or by e-mail. This includes questions related to all assignments, including challenge problems.

Special needs:

If you require special accommodations, e.g. for religious observance or diagnosed disability, please arrange an appointment with the instructor during the first week of the semester.

Academic integrity:

Your rights and responsibilities outlined in Article 1, part 4 of the UIUC Student Code will be strictly enforced in this class. Unless otherwise noted, work on assignments must be entirely your own work. Your signature will be understood as a pledge to this effect.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Course text:

The required course text is Multibody Mechanics and Visualization, Harry Dankowicz, Springer Verlag UK, 2005. This text is available as an e-book at http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/b138168 and can be downloaded at no cost, provided that you are on the university network.

Software:

The required course software is Mambo & The Mambo Toolbox. This software is available at http://danko.mechanical.illinois.edu/Mambo/ and can be downloaded at no cost.

3 hours

Mechanical Design I (ME 370).