Classification for Literature on Compliant Mechanisms: A Design Methodology Based Approach

Abstract

In the last 20 years the interest in compliant mechanisms has experienced a rebirth with a continuous growth in research with the consequently increase of literature in this area. This work presents a classification scheme to organize literature on compliant mechanisms. The literature classification is based on the design methodology for conventional mechanisms; which is proposed as a compatible design process also for compliant mechanisms by assuming some limitations and extensions in the employed terms. As an example, 120 relevant research documents in compliant mechanisms have been classified. The work done on topology optimization was excluded due to its extension.