The objective of this research was to use a pedal force decomposition approach to quantify the amount of negative muscular crank torque generated by a group of competitive cyclists across a range of pedaling rates. We hypothesized that negative muscular crank torque increases at high pedaling rates as a result of the activation dynamics associated with muscle force development and the need for ...

A complete approach for the search of top-quality six-bar linkages based on four-bar generating coupler curves with circular regions has been developed. The includes a robust algorithm to high-accuracy in and fitness function able evaluate quality resulting linkage. is used explore design space order optimal dwell identify types that provide best dwells according established criteria. Then, glo...

Linkages have a long history ranging back to the 18th century in the quest for mechanical conversion between circular motion and linear motion, as needed in a steam engine. In 1877, Kempe wrote an entire book of such mechanisms for “drawing a straight line”. (In mathematical circles, Kempe is famous for an attempted proof of the Four-Color Theorem, whose main ideas persist in the current, corre...