Professor McCarthy’s Research
Research Interests
- Machine Design
- Kinetic Synthesis of Robotic Systems
- Project-Based Learning
Grants
- A Design Environment for Kinematic Synthesis of Defect Free Linkage Systems (1066082)—National Science Foundation, $340,000 (36 mon.) awarded June 2010.
- Workshop on 21st Century Kinematics; Washington DC (1068497)—National Science Foundation, $49,900 (12 mon.), awarded April 2011.
- Collaborative Research: A Design Methodology for Multi-fingered Robotic Hands with Second-order Kinematic Constraints,” under the direction of J. Michael McCarthy, Nina P. Robson, in collaboration with Alba Perez Gracia, Idaho State University (IIS-1208412), $399,997, awarded September 2012
- EAGER: Computational Machine Design: The Eight-bar Linkage (1346738), National Science Foundation, $88,883, awarded August 1, 2013.
Robotics and Automation Laboratory
Analysis and Synthesis of Spatial Movement
Please see Mechanical Design 101 for a collection of our recent research results as well as other interesting and useful material. Six-bar linkage animations and prototypes, our Mathematica four-bar linkage design notebooks, and information on our Mechanism Generator software for SolidWorks.
21st Century Kinematics
Select this link for a brief history of the mathematical theory of mechanisms and robotics which is an editorial I have prepared for the Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.A follow on editorial discusses recent research trends in 21st Century kinematics.
Racecar Engineering
Since 2004, I have worked with students in Racecar Engineering to develop team engineering skills. Please see my facebook page for photographs and videos of our efforts over the years.Our 2011 UCI Energy Invitational is scheduled for March 22-23, 2011 at Willow Springs Motorsports Park. Please contact me if you would like to join us.
Linkage Animations
Select this link for convertible car top and other Linkage Animations. This link has more animations for planar, spherical and spatial four-bar linkages.