A holographic matrix representation of the metamorphic parallel mechanisms

Abstract

Metamorphic mechanisms belong to the class of mechanisms that are able to change their configurations sequentially to meet different requirements. In this paper, a holographic matrix representation for describing the topological structure of metamorphic mechanisms was proposed. The matrix includes the adjacency matrix, incidence matrix, links attribute and kinematic pairs attribute. Then, the expanded holographic matrix is introduced, which includes driving link, frame link and the identifier of the configurations. Furthermore, a matrix representation of an original metamorphic mechanism is proposed, which has the ability to evolve into various sub-configurations. And evolutionary relationships between mechanisms in sub-configurations and the original metamorphic mechanism are determined distinctly. Examples are provided to demonstrate the validation of the method.