Explore fundamental mechanical systems: gear trains, crank-slider mechanisms, chain drives and four-bar linkages. Adjust gear ratios and watch how torque and motion transfer through each mechanism.
Kinematic constraints connect rigid bodies. Gear teeth enforce velocity ratios, cranks convert rotation to linear motion, chains transmit power across distance.
Click to start/stop each mechanism. Adjust gear ratios, crank length and linkage geometry. Watch how changes propagate through the system.
The four-bar linkage is the simplest closed-loop mechanism and appears everywhere from car suspensions to robotic arms. It was first analysed by Grashof in 1883.