Research

Mechanism Modeling

In engineering, a mechanism is a device that transforms input movement and forces into a desired set of output movement and forces. Designing mechanisms is a very challenging task since one needs to ensure that the mechanism is functional while satisfying all necessary criteria. Due to this reason, mechanism design is traditionally restricted to a very small group of experts.

In this topic, our goal is to enable general users to model and make personalized mechanisms by developing computational methods and tools to assist or automate the geometric modeling process. In particular, we are interested in modeling, analyzing, and designing novel mechanisms for realizing user-specified motion characteristics, including exact path generation and exact motion generation.

Publications

Exact 3D Path Generation via 3D Cam-Linkage Mechanisms

  • Yingjie Cheng, Peng Song, Yukun Lu, Wen Jie Jeremy Chew, and Ligang Liu
  • ACM Transactions on Graphics (Proc. of SIGGRAPH Asia), 2022
Homepage   Paper   Video   Code   ACM Portal  

Spatial-Temporal Motion Control via Composite Cam-follower Mechanisms

  • Yingjie Cheng, Yucheng Sun, Peng Song, and Ligang Liu
  • ACM Transactions on Graphics (Proc. of SIGGRAPH Asia), 2021
Homepage   Paper   Video   Code   ACM Portal  

Computational Design and Optimization of Non-Circular Gears

Homepage   Paper   Video   Wiley Online Library

Computational Design of Wind-up Toys

Homepage   Press Release   Paper   Video   ACM Portal