Optimal synthesis of mechanisms with genetic algorithms

This paper deals with solution methods of optimal synthesis of planar mechanisms. A searching procedure is defined which applies genetic algorithms based on evolutionary techniques and the type of goal function. Problems of synthesis of four-bar planar mechanisms are used to test the method, showing that solutions are accurate and valid for all cases. The possibility of extending the method to other mechanism type is outlined. The main advantages of the method are its simplicity of implementation and its fast convergence to optimal solution, with no need of deep knowledge of the searching space. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.