We introduce a singularity-aware design optimization method for spatial multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical linkages. At the core of our approach is an adversarial sampling strategy, which actively detects singular configurations within targeted operation range. The detection singularities in both forward and inverse kinematics allows two-way bijective mappings between input output trajectories ...

The large-scale spatial dynamics and population structure of marine top predators are poorly known. We present electronic tag and photographic identification data showing a complex suite of behavioral patterns in white sharks. These include coastal return migrations and the fastest known transoceanic return migration among swimming fauna, which provide direct evidence of a link between widely s...

This paper reviews techniques for assessing how joint clearances affect the precision of multiloop, multifreedom linkages. Slop, or backlash, arises from the small movements as joint clearances are taken up and, as these movements are generally uncontrolled, the precise location of bodies in the linkage becomes uncertain. This is particularly important when such linkages are used as robot manip...

In this paper, two dimensions are differentiated within the fragmentation process: a spatial and a functional one. On the one hand, due to fragmentation and industrial relocation, regional and national economies might be losing some internal linkages. This spatial fragmentation determines a decrease in the complexity of the production systems. On the other hand, outsourcing, as a form of functi...

Models applied for simulating the impact of climate change on large scale vegetation dynamics generally face the trade-off between computational expenses (computation time and memory) and modelled detail. Global models often abstract from processes entailing spatial linkages, e.g. species migration, and have too coarse resolutions to depictfrom processes entailing spatial linkages, e.g. species...

This paper builds on the authors’ planar kinematic synthesis for contact task specifications and formulates the kinematic specification of the synthesis problem for spatial open-serial chains in which a desired acceleration of the endeffector is specified. Applications of this research focus on the design of spatial linkages to maintain specified local motion. A recently developed failure recov...

We quantify the role of global production linkages in explaining spillovers U.S. monetary policy shocks on country-sector stock returns. estimate a structural spatial autoregression (SAR) model that is consistent with an open-economy network framework. Using SAR model, we decompose total impact returns into direct and effects. Nearly 70% due to effect linkages. Empirical counterfactuals show sh...

An important aspect of qualitative spatial reasoning is understanding mechanisms . This paper presents a qualitative analysis of motion for mechanical linkages . In particular, we describe how to analyze the behavior of a mechanism which has a movable axis . The basic idea of our approach is to represent relative motions of the link in terms of quadrants (qualitatively representing the directio...

Linkages between benthic and pelagic habitats occur in both freshwater and marine systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales, and are influenced by a number of chemical, biological, and physical forces. We identified three major mechanisms of benthic-pelagic coupling: (1) organism movement, (2) trophic interactions, and (3) biogeochemical cycling. We also explore the implications of se...