Generalized Coordinates of

Multibody Systems
Lesson 1
Generalized Coordinates for
Position and Orientation of
Multibody Systems
Generalized Coordinates

• Generalized coordinates: Variables denoting position or orientation

r 
θ  Polar generalized coordinates
 

r
 x
 y Cartesian generalized coordinates
 
θ

3
Cartesian Generalized Coordinates of a Rigid Body

y1
 x1  x1
y  θ1
 1
θ1  Body

y
Body Reference Frame

Global Reference Frame

4
Transformation Matrix of a Rigid Body

s =[s x ,s y ]T
y
s'=[ , ]T
Sy
θ
y' s x = ξ cosθ − ηsin θ
x'
S
θ s y = ξ sin θ + ηcosθ

 θ
s x  cosθ − sin θ  ξ 
θ s  =   η
Sx
x  y  sin θ cos θ  
A matrix

s = As'

5
Properties of Transformation Matrix

cosθ − sin θ  𝜕𝐀 −sin θ − cos θ

A=  =𝐁=
 sin θ cosθ  𝜕𝜃 cos θ −sin θ

 cos 2
θ + sin 2
θ − cosθsin θ + sin θ cosθ 
A A=
T
 =I
− cosθsin θ + sin θ cosθ cos θ + sin θ
2 2


T
A =A
T −1
s'= A s