Intro and Background

The purpose of this project is to apply the concepts learned in ME350R in an open-ended format by designing, assembling, and analyzing a mechanism. The mechanism built is an altered version of the 5-bar mechanism shown below in figure 1.

Figure 1. 5 Bar slotted slider mechanism

Kinematic analysis of the mechanism using the vector loop method was performed and implemented into a MATLAB simulation of the mechanism. This simulation also includes an animation of the mechanism. The results of this simulation were then compared to the behavior of the physical prototype of the mechanism to verify the accuracy of the kinematic analysis.