Extending the device-oriented qualitative simulation method to mechanical devices

The author offers a solution which uses a separate representation entity, called the connection frame, to model the spatial relationships between a pair of objects and how those relationships achieve force or velocity propagation. The connection representation is assumed supplied as part of the design knowledge of the mechanism, though it could be just as readily computed by other spatial connection determination methods. A framework is described which is constructed to simulate the behaviors of both ordinary and intermittent mechanical systems, with an emphasis on force and velocity propagation reasoning. In general, it appears that continuous motion can usually be modeled by velocity propagation while intermittent motion is best approached by force propagation