FIGURE 6.1. The inertia tensor of an object describes the object’s mass distribution. Here a vector “P locates the differential volume element, dv, By differentiating, we obtain Mc = Ay + £ (BR 206). (614 Now, applying (6.6) to the last term of (6.14), we obtain AN, = ANG + AR Be + 4p x AR ADS. (6.15) We will use this result to calculate the angular acceleration of the links of a manipulator. EB 6.3 Mass distribution In systems with a single de; of a rigid body. the notion of the which is free to m gree of freedom, we often talk about the ms In the case of rotational motion about a single &* moment of inertia is a familiar one. For a rigid botY . ., . erof sossible rotate ove in three dimensions there are an infinite number © reed aa uition axes. In the case of rotation about an arbitrary axis: "° need a complete way of characte: ; ; rizing the mass distribution of @ "8! body. : c $ distribu ee eatin the inertia tensor, which for our purpos® sl 88 & Beneralivati, > «ott of an object. 4 generalization of the scalar moment of inet We shall efine as the Segal now define ‘set of quantities which give information abo mass of a rigid body relative to a reference fra" Scanned with CamScannerMass distribution L191 ] Figure 6-1 shows a rigid body yw; tensors may be defined relating tt lative a ached frame. While 2 r to any frame. nr cea rin tensor defo, rane we will always consider * : " ame attac igi be i pee Portant We will indicate. with neat 2 the pe the fram f Fence of a given inertia tonsey T iment meres to frame {A} is expressed in the matris fem ate eae IX is the 3x 3 Matrix: aly tas , oe 1 un _[! ny 1, : Tey My Ty, “Tee ly, 1, mo where the scalar elements are given by ee = a= ff f (v? + 24)pdv, two ff were fry oe y, | (2? + 2") pv, teem f f [2 +v oe, (6.17) tovm f ff vn fave ff f sen tem | f {wom where the rigid body is composed of differential volume elements, dv, containing material of density p. Each volume element is located with a vector, AP = [2 y z|", as shown in Fig. 6.1. The elements J,,, yy, and J,, are called the mass moments of in- ertia. Note that in each case we are integrating the mass elements, pdv, times the square of the perpendicular distance from the corresponding axis. The elements with mixed indices are called the mass products of inertia. This set of six independent quantities will, for a given body, depend on the position and orientation of the frame in which they are defined. If we are free to choose the orientation of the reference frame, itis possible to cause the products of inertia to be zero. The axes af the Teference frame when so aligned are called the principal axes and the in e oments of inertia. Corresponding mass moments are the principal m a lV rapys gy Big EXAMPLE 6.1 BHA tangular body of uniform density hown in Fig. 6.2. Find the inertia tensor for the rec! P with respect to the coordinate system S Scanned with CamScannerFIGURE 6.2 A body of uniform density. First, we compute I,,. Using volume element du = dir dy dz, we get Tee =f [r+ Ppedyas =f [08 +2 vwnivae = f (5 + #1) wpdz (6.18) — (how nh - (H+ 3 ) Re +n), " where m is the total mass of the body, Permuti erms, we can get Ty, and I,, by inspection: y. nuting the terms, we Iw =F (w? +n) (619) and m I= ; (2 +u2), (620 Scanned with CamScanner63 Mass distibution LID3 We next compute To hoa Ly = [ f 0 Jo Sy Jy *edrdya: ho opt ~ f i yp Medyd: _ fh we (6.21) =f, Tyree 0 f,, = eS hw (6.22) and m Tye Tal (6.23) Hence the inertia tensor for this object is (Ph +n) —Zhw 4t=| Sui -2Al = (6.24) —Zhw -Shb FP +w?) As noted, the inertia tensor is a function of the location and orientation of the reference frame. A well-known result, the parallel axis theorem, is one way of computing how the inertia tensor changes under translations of the reference coordinate system. The parallel axis theorem relates the inertia tensor in a frame with origin at the center of mass to the inertia tensor with respect to another reference frame. Where {C} is located at the center of mass of the body, and {4} is an arbitrarily translated frame, the theorem can be stated [1] as AL, = les +m(02 +42), (6.25) Algy = Clay — MEVer v= Where P, = [x,, 4,2] locates the center of mass pelaltvelto (a). The remaining moments and products of inertia are computed fom Permutations of z, y, and z in (6.25). The theorem may be Vector-matrix form as 4 (6.26) Apa C14 m[PE Pols ~ PPE] : where Ty is the 3 x 3 identity matrix. I scanned with CamScanner——— ——=—=_—= EXAMPLE 6.2 — lid body describe ind the inertia tensor for the same so ae h - itis described in a coordinate system with ¢ ple 6.1 when it is mi oy the pall axis theorem, (6.25), where fe can appl) re) fu ert ' th CT, = tee ees Ty(w? +P) «for Ba origin at Then we find (6.27) a The other elements are found by symmetry. The resulting inertia tensor written in the frame at the cat nter of mass is w+) 0 0 ee ° 33 (w? +h?) 0 . (6.28) J 0 mass distributi index the be zero, plane of symmetry for the the products of inertia having as es normal to the plane of symmetry wil ‘on of the body, Coordinate which ig 2. Moments of inert: may have ‘iar oh Always be positive. Produets of inert 3. ‘The sum of the a ae ange ‘the pes ‘nena are invariant under orie™ + The eige reference frame, the haart aoe et tensor are the principal moments for 7 ciated “lBenvectorg Are the principal axes. is some Pastors have links Whose a Practice. A prog 80 th Seometry and compositi9 ; the appiicne. 7 Pragmatic option +°° ®PPlication is difficult # option ig actually to eee Cg as Scanned with CamScanner