User:Prof McCarthy

Prof McCarthy is the username for J. Michael McCarthy, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering of the University of California, Irvine. He is the former Director of the Performance Engineering Program in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is the past Henry Samueli Professor and Director of the Center for Engineering Science in Design.

Please see mechanicaldesign101.com where I collect resources for education in mechanical design. I have also found GeoGebra to be an excellent tool for illustrating the geometric properties of linkages. Link to Geogebra worksheets that I have prepared are available on my GeoGebra profile page. You also may find my YouTube channel mechanical design 101 to be of some interest.

My students regularly use Wikipedia for an introduction to topics in machines and mechanisms, and Wikipedia is often the first entry in a Google search on these topics, which means that many others rely on it as well. For this reason, I now take the time to edit articles on machines so they match more closely to our current understanding, while being respectful of the contributions of others.

This effort has brought me into contact with a number of diligent individuals in the Wikipedia community. It is clear, that as with many things, the true strength of an organization is the quality and commitment of the individuals who support it.

Articles in progress
This is a list of articles that I am working to improve:
 * Alfred Kempe
 * Basis (linear algebra)
 * Belt (mechanical)
 * Block and tackle
 * Burmester's theory
 * Cable tie
 * Center of mass
 * Chain drive
 * Chebychev–Grübler–Kutzbach criterion
 * Clifford algebra
 * Configuration space
 * Degrees of freedom (mechanics)
 * Six degrees of freedom
 * Denavit-Hartenberg parameters
 * Deployable structure
 * Differential (mechanical device)
 * Dual quaternion
 * Eigenvalues and eigenvectors
 * Eight-bar linkage
 * Epicyclic gearing
 * Forward kinematics
 * Four-bar linkage
 * Gear
 * Gear ratio
 * Gear train
 * Generalized coordinates
 * Generalized forces
 * Geneva drive
 * Ideal machine
 * Inclined plane
 * Inverse kinematics
 * Kempe's Universality Theorem
 * Kinematics
 * Kinematic chain
 * Kinematic coupling
 * Kinematic diagram
 * Kinematics equations
 * Kinematic pair
 * Lever
 * Leg mechanism
 * Linear algebra
 * Linear independence
 * Linkage (mechanical)
 * Machine element
 * Machine (mechanical)
 * Matrix similarity
 * Mechanical advantage
 * Mechanical efficiency
 * Mechanical system
 * Mechanism (engineering)
 * Moment of inertia
 * Motion (physics)
 * Motion planning
 * Multivector
 * Net force
 * Overconstrained mechanism
 * Parallel axis theorem
 * Parallel manipulator
 * Parallel motion
 * Potential energy
 * Power (physics)
 * Pulley
 * Quaternions and spatial rotation
 * Rack and pinion
 * Ratchet (device)
 * Rigid body dynamics
 * Rigid transformation
 * Resultant force
 * Robot kinematics
 * Screw
 * Screw (simple machine)
 * Screw axis
 * Screw theory
 * Serial manipulator
 * Simple machines
 * Six-bar linkage
 * Slider crank chain inversion
 * Sprocket
 * Translation (physics)
 * Translation (geometry)
 * Transmission (mechanics)
 * Virtual work
 * Watt's linkage
 * Wedge (mechanical device)
 * Wheel and axle
 * Work (physics)

I am thinking about working on these:
 * Spring-loaded camming device
 * Swashplate
 * Trip hammer
 * Cam
 * Cam follower
 * Continuously variable transmission
 * Universal joint
 * Drive shaft
 * Antikythera mechanism
 * Instantaneous center of rotation
 * Euler's rotation theorem
 * Rotation matrix

Additional articles that need work are
 * Spherical linkage: this also would be a new article
 * Slider-crank: surprisingly, there is no article on this linkage. There is the article Crank (mechanism), but it focusses on the crank.
 * Curvature theory: There does not seem to be an article on the instantaneous version of Burmester's theory, which is an interesting area that includes the Euler-savary equation, Ball's point, the cubic of stationary curvature, and the Burmester curve.
 * Bennett linkage: this would be a new article
 * Linkage type: there are interesting results counting the number of one degree-of-freedom 12, 14, and 16 bar linkages.
 * Linkage graph: this would be a new article, perhaps combined with linkage type.

I am not sure what to do with the topics
 * Linkage analysis
 * Linkage synthesis

Drafts of articles
Kempe's Universality Theorem draft

fixed carrier train ratio

MOI saving mathematics section

Virtual work draft

Dual quaternion draft

Screw theory draft

Mechanical advantage draft

equation test

Clifford algebra

Six-bar linkage

work draft

simple machine draft

nano machines

kinematics draft

motion draft

analysis draft

IKdraft

robot kinematics draft

kinematics equations draft

Work draft

net force draft

rigid body dynamics draft

center of gravity draft

moment of inertia draft

parallel axis theorem draft

generalized coordinates draft

Burmester theory draft

Kinematic synthesis draft

Rotation matrix draft

Linear algebra draft

Multivector draft

Potential energy draft

Screw axis draft

Eight-bar linkage draft

Linear independence draft

Matrix similarity draft

Resultant draft

Inverted slider-crank draft

Rodrigues equation draft