Algebraic computation of the twist of a rigid body through direct measurements

The aim of the paper is to present a procedure for the automatic computatio n of the twist of a rigid body and of its derivative with respect to time. This procedure is done through direct measurements, based on the velocities and accelerations of three non-collinear points of the rigid body. Firstly , the case of a rigid body in spherical motion is considered. Next, the cas e of the general motion is studied. Two algorithms for the algebraic comput ation of the twist of a rigid body and its derivative are further presented . Finally, an example is delivered. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.