kinematics
kin-uh-MAT-iks
/ˌkɪn.ɪˈmæt.ɪks/
The branch of mechanics concerned with the motion of objects without reference to the forces which cause the motion.
Focuses purely on the geometry of motion—positions, velocities, and accelerations of robotic joints and links—rather than the mass, torque, or forces involved.
The story behind the word. Coined in 1834 by the French physicist André-Marie Ampère (who also gave his name to the unit of electric current). He derived it from the Greek word kinema, meaning 'movement'—the same root that gave us 'cinema' (moving pictures).
Word relationships
- motion geometry: Motion geometry is a descriptive phrase, whereas kinematics is the formal, established scientific discipline.
- dynamics: Dynamics deals with the forces and torques that cause motion, whereas kinematics ignores forces and focuses only on the path and speed of motion.
Commonly confused with
- kinetics: Kinetics is the study of the relationship between the forces acting on a body and the resulting motion, while kinematics studies the motion itself without regard to forces.
Word family
- kinematic (adjective): Relating to kinematics or the geometry of motion.
- kinematically (adverb): In a way that relates to kinematics.
Collocations
- forward kinematics
- inverse kinematics
- kinematics equations
- joint kinematics
Example sentences
- "Students must master forward kinematics to calculate the exact position of the robot's gripper based on joint angles." A university syllabus for a robotics course.
- "The kinematics of human walking were analyzed using high-speed motion capture cameras." A research paper on biomechanics.
Memory hook
Think of 'cinema' (moving pictures) and connect it to 'kinematics' (the math of moving parts). Kinematics = Cinema of motion.
When not to use
Do not use when discussing the forces, weights, or torques required to move a robot; that field is called kinetics or dynamics.
Fun facts
- In video game development, 'Inverse Kinematics' (IK) is the math used to make a character's feet land perfectly on uneven ground or stairs instead of clipping through them.
Related words
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