1.1 Degrees of Freedom of a Rigid Body in a Plane.

The degrees of freedom (DOF) of a rigid body is defined as the number of independent movements it has. Figure shows a rigid body in a plane. In a two dimensional plane has 3 DOF.

1.2. Degrees of Freedom of a Rigid Body in Space

An unrestrained rigid body in space has six degrees of freedom:

Kinematic constraints are constraints between rigid bodies that result in the decrease of the degrees of freedom of rigid body system.
The kinematic pairs are divided into lower pairs and higher pairs, depending on how the two bodies are in contact.

There are two kinds of lower pairs mechanisms: revolute pairs and prismatic pairs.

in

planar

Fig of Revolute pair

Fig of prismatic pair

In this two pair two degree of freedom is arrested.

If a pair in motion has a line or point contact between 2 elements. Eg. Belt, rope, chain drives etc

Fig of higher pair

The equation used in kutzbach criterion is n = 3(l-1) 2j h Where n = number of dof l = number of links j = number of joints h = number of higher pair

The equation used in this is n = 6 ( l - 1 ) 5p 1 - 4p 2 - 3p 3 2p4 - p5 Where n = number of dof p1 = number of pairs having one dof p2 = number of pairs having two dof p3 = number of pairs having three dof p4 = number of pairs having four dof p5 = number of pairs having five dof