Mechanism analysis by matrix reduction. I. Statics

A new type of computerized design aid is described, which raises the need to carry out the simple preliminary static analysis of articulated assemblies of rigid bodies by computer; and a matrix-based method is presented for doing this. This method also forms the basis for a new approach to the kinematic analysis of such assemblies, which in turn provides the inertia (D’Alembert) forces for the static analysis.