Dynamics of Closed-loop Systems

A mechanical system with closed-loop has a circuit of bodies such that the closed circuit can be traced through the system from one body to another and returns to the original body without traversing any body more than once [6]. Kinematic loops occur in many mechanical systems such as vehicles, spacecrafts, and machines for printing, textile and agricultural purposes. In contrast to open-loop systems, as studied in Chapter 2, closedloop systems tend to possess relatively few degrees of freedom (DOF) compared to the number of connected bodies.