Additional information
by Francis C. Moon (Author)
This book examines the evolution of machine design methodology from the Renaissance to the Age of Machines in the 19th century. It provides detailed analysis, comparing design concepts of engineers of the 15th century Renaissance and the 19th century age of machines from a workshop tradition to the rational scientific discipline used today.
The book places the technical design ideas for the machines of Leonardo da Vinci and Franz Reuleaux in the historical, economic and social context of their times. It offers detailed comparisons of 20 basic machine mechanisms such as the slider crank and four-bar linkages in both Leonardo's drawings and Reuleaux's models are made. The book argues that the development of a rational design methodology for machines that grew from the time of Leonardo to the early 20th century was as great a feat as the invention of the machines themselves.
Author Biography
Francis C. Moon is a Chaired Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Engineers. He is also a Fellow of ASME. Moon is Curator of the Reuleaux Collection of Kinematic Models at Cornell University. He has authored five published books with John Wiley including two popular books on chaotic dynamics; Chaotic Vibrations (1987, 2004), Chaotic and Fractal Dynamics and a textbook Applied Dynamics (1998) His research specialty includes dynamics of machines and structures as well as magneto-mechanical devices. He has lectured recently in 'Introduction to Robotics' for seniors and 'Applied Dynamics' for graduate students. He was the recipient of a Humboldt Prize award in 1988 and 2001. In 2001 he was a visiting scholar at the Archiv of the Deutsches Museum where he studied the papers of Franz Reuleaux. Moon is a member of the commission on the History of Machines and Mechanisms (HMM) of the International Federation for the Theory af Machines and Mechanisms. (IFToMM) He has published over 140 research papers and holds five patents. He was the Director of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace engineering at Cornell University from 1987-1992.
Moon is one of the creators of the history of mechanisms website; KMODDL: Kinematic Modelsfor Design, Digital Library [http: //kmoddl.library.cornell.edu]
