Recent Blogs
Clutch (form) Mechanism Explained: How Dog and Jaw Clutches Transmit Torque
How a form-locking clutch (dog clutch) engages with positive teeth to transmit torque without slip — used in gearboxes, PTOs, and lathe carriages.
TrotBot Leg Linkage: Walking Animation and Clearance Comparison
Watch a fixed-geometry TrotBot leg and its foot and toe paths. Compare entered joint-clearance sums separately; these values do not predict foot-position error.
Ghassaei Walking Linkage: Foot-Path Animation and Calculator
Follow Amanda Ghassaei’s crank-driven leg geometry and calculate its scaled foot-path width, lift, fixed-pivot spacing and cycle time.
Chebyshev Plantigrade Machine: How This Walking Linkage Works, Parts, Formula, and Uses Explained
Explore four Chebyshev linkages driving two alternating foot frames. Calculate foot sweep, lift and the small height variation along the approximately level stance path.
Theo Jansen Strandbeest: Reference-dimension Scaling
Scale three published Jansen reference dimensions from a chosen crank length and calculate an entered percentage band. The tool does not simulate a walking leg.
Tape-spring Hinge: Cross-section Geometry Calculator
Explore tape-spring cross-section arc length and nominal curvature strain. The geometry index and angle reference do not predict torque or latching.
Origami Waterbomb Base: Crease-Pattern Geometry
Explore an ideal symmetric waterbomb fold. Calculate square-sheet dimensions, crease lengths and a half-square reference triangle; folded volume is not predicted.
Miura-ori: Exact Flat-Pattern Geometry and Qualitative Fold View
Explore the Miura-ori crease pattern and calculate flat facet area and diagonals. A qualitative fold view illustrates deployment without predicting folded dimensions.
Living Hinge Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Diagram, Formula, and Design Parts
Explore a living hinge as an ideal circular bend. Compare web thickness, active length and angle to calculate bend radius and geometric outer-fiber strain.
Cross-axis Flexure Pivot Mechanism: How It Works, Parts, Formula, Diagram and Uses Explained
Explore a crossed-leaf flexure pivot. Compare cubic thickness sensitivity and an entered rotation limit while watching the clamped spring leaves bend.
Bistable Buckled-beam Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Diagram, Parts, Formula and Uses
Explore the geometry of a clamped buckled beam and calculate section inertia, an ideal axial Euler buckling load and travel between two bowed shapes.
Worm-and-roller Steering Mechanism: How It Works, Diagram, Parts, Formula and Uses Explained
Explore worm-and-roller steering with a schematic animation. Compare assumed ratio, sector angle, output torque and ideal pitman-arm travel.
Recirculating Ball Steering Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Parts, Diagram, Uses & Formula
Explore recirculating-ball steering motion. Calculate ball-nut travel, sector rotation, input-to-sector ratio and Pitman-pin arc from four geometry inputs.
Pitman Arm and Drag Link: Exact Declared Planar Geometry
Pitman Arm explained — how this steering linkage converts gearbox rotation into wheel motion in trucks, off-road vehicles, and heavy equipment.
Bell Crank Steering Mechanism: How It Works, Diagram, Formula and Real-World Uses
Bell Crank Steering explained — how the L-shaped lever transfers steering motion in karts, RC cars, and aircraft nose gear, with formulas and worked examples.
Ackermann Steering Linkage Mechanism: How It Works, Diagram, Geometry, Formula and Uses Explained
Compare inner and outer steering angles with ideal low-speed Ackermann geometry. Explore wheelbase, track, angle split and a defined percentage in a plan-view animation.
Steering Gear Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Parts, Diagram and Steering Ratio Formula
Steering gear converts wheel rotation into road-wheel angle. Learn rack-and-pinion vs recirculating ball, ratios, and real automotive use cases.
Stewart Platform (hexapod) Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Diagram, Parts, Formula and Uses
Stewart Platform explained — how a 6-DOF hexapod works, the kinematics formula, and real motion-simulator and machining applications. Practical engineering guide.
Spherical Wrist Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Diagram, Parts, Formula and Industrial Uses
How a spherical wrist works in 6-DOF robot arms — three intersecting axes, kinematic decoupling, and real applications in welding, painting, and surgery.
SCARA Arm Mechanism Explained: How a 4-Axis Selectively Compliant Robot Works
How a SCARA Arm works, with cycle-time math, payload trade-offs, and real applications in electronics assembly, packaging, and lab automation.
Delta Robot Mechanism: How Parallel Kinematic Pick-and-Place Works, Parts, Diagram, and Uses
Explore a Delta robot’s three parallel linkage chains and level tool platform. Compare a separate joint-play sensitivity example with explicitly assumed gains.
Cartesian Robot Mechanism: How XYZ Gantry Robots Work, Parts, Uses and Motion Formula Explained
Explore three perpendicular gantry axes and coordinated XYZ movement. Compare target coordinates and straight-line displacement with an interactive Cartesian robot diagram.
Spherical Four-bar Linkage Mechanism Explained: How It Works, Parts, Diagram and Uses
Spherical four-bar linkage explained: how concurrent-axis kinematics transmit motion between angled shafts in robotics, aerospace and automotive steering.
Schatz Linkage Mechanism: How the Six-Bar Spatial Inversion Works, Parts, Diagram and Uses
Explore the Schatz six-joint spatial linkage with connected animated motion, cycle timing and a relative length-deviation calculator.
Goldberg 5R Linkage: Spatial Animation and Geometry Calculator
Watch a five-joint Goldberg linkage fold in space. Explore a compatible Bennett-derived geometry with rigid links, visible hinge axes and calculated lengths.