On the Self-Mobility of Point-Symmetric Hexapods

Abstract

In this article, we study necessary and sufficient conditions for the self-mobility of point symmetric hexapods (PSHs). Specifically, we investigate orthogonal PSHs and equiform PSHs. For the latter ones, we can show that they can have non-translational self-motions only if they are architecturally singular or congruent. In the case of congruency, we are even able to classify all types of existing self-motions. Finally, we determine a new set of PSHs, which have so-called generalized Dietmaier self-motions. We close the paper with some comments on the self-mobility of hexapods with global/local symmetries.

Keywords

• hexapod
• self-motion
• bond theory
• Borel–Bricard problem