Abstract
Motion control, both on the trajectory and timing, is crucial for mechanical automata to perform functionalities such as walking and entertaining. We present composite cam-follower mechanisms that can control their spatial-temporal motions to exactly follow trajectories and timings specified by users, and propose a computational technique to model, design, and optimize these mechanisms. The building blocks of our mechanisms are a new kind of cam-follower mechanism with a modified joint, in which the follower can perform spatial motion on a planar, cylindrical, or spherical surface controlled by the 3D cam's profile. We parameterize the geometry of these cam-follower mechanisms, formulate analytical equations to model their kinematics and dynamics, and present a method to combine multiple cam-follower mechanisms into a working mechanism. Taking this modeling as a foundation, we propose a computational approach to designing and optimizing the geometry and layout of composite cam-follower mechanisms, with an objective of performing target spatial-temporal motions driving by a small motor torque. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique by designing different kinds of personalized automata and showing results not attainable by conventional mechanisms.