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Compliant Mechanisms: Principles and Design

By Prof. G. K. Ananthasuresh   |   IISc Bangalore
Learners enrolled: 211   |  Exam registration: 21
ABOUT THE COURSE:
This course introduces the concept and principles of compliant mechanisms and presents the design methods in detail. Various applications of compliant mechanisms in consumer products, microsystems, aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries will be touched upon throughout the course. It is a comprehensive treatment of the growing field of compliant mechanisms starting from the classics and basics and ending with the state of the art.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:Fourth year UG and PG level

PREREQUISITES: Preferred - Kinematics; finite element analysis; optimization theory

INDUSTRY SUPPORT:Bosch India Ltd. EATON India Ltd. General Electric, General Motors Tata Motors, TVS Motors, L&T, Crompton-Greaves
Summary
Course Status : Completed
Course Type : Elective
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 weeks
Category :
  • Mechanical Engineering
Credit Points : 3
Level : Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date : 21 Jul 2025
End Date : 10 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends : 04 Aug 2025
Exam Registration Ends : 22 Aug 2025
Exam Date : 01 Nov 2025 IST
NCrF Level   : 4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.


Page Visits



Course layout

Week 1: 
Overview of compliant mechanisms; spirit of compliant design; a glimpse of applications.
Mobility analysis of compliant mechanisms: Grübler’s formula, Maxwell’s rule, and rank of the compatibility matrix

Week 2:
Modeling of flexures (flexible joints or elastic pairs)
Simulation of compliant mechanisms using finite element analysis

Week 3:
Large-displacement analysis of cantilever beams: the elastica approach
Pseudo Rigid-Body (PRB) modeling

Week 4:
Analysis using pseudo rigid-body models
Synthesis using pseudo rigid-body models

Week 5:
Structural optimization approach to “design for deflection”
Topology optimization approach to compliant mechanism design

Week 6:
Designing compliant mechanisms using continuum topology optimization
Design of distributed compliant mechanisms

Week 7:
Spring-lever (SL) and spring-masslever (SML) models for compliant mechanisms
Selection and re-design using SL and SML models

Week 8:
Non-dimensional analysis of compliant mechanisms
Kinetoelastic maps of compliant mechanisms

Week 9:
Other methods of compliant mechanisms
Mechanical advantage analysis of compliant mechanisms

Week 10:
Bistable compliant mechanisms
Static balancing of compliant mechanisms

Week 11:
Compliant mechanisms and microsystems
Manufacturing and materials for compliant mechanisms

Week 12:
Case-studies of compliant mechanisms: Part 1
Case-studies of compliant mechanisms: Part 2

Instructor bio

Prof. G. K. Ananthasuresh

IISc Bangalore
Prof. G. K. Ananthasuresh has taught this course once and has extensive presentation material based on numerous workshops he has conducted on the subject in the US and India. The instructor has been working in this field right from the inception of the field. He is associated with it for nearly 25 years and has contributed to its development and identifying applications. He has also played a major role in defining systematic design methods for compliant mechanisms.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: November 01, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IISc Bangalore .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team
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