The wavelike motion of a multiline system on a horizontal plane

The motion of a plane multilink system on a horizontal plane is investigate d assuming the existence of dry friction. The motion occurs, under the acti on of internal control torques applied at the system's joints. It is shown that modes of slow (quasi-static) motion exist in which the system advances along itself owing to a wave travelling along it, in which several links p articipate. These modes of motion differ from previously studied fast (dyna mical) modes of motion of multilink systems along a plane. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science Ltd. All rights reserved.