Short Term Course on
Compliant Mechanisms
G. K. Ananthasuresh
Professor, ME, IISc
Course Schedule
June 9 – 14, 2025
Course Mode: Offline
Course fee per participant: Rs. 20000+18%GST
Registration Deadline: April 30, 2025.
Registration link:
https://iisc.online/shortterm/home.html
Who is eligible?
• Anyone from academic institutions, R&D
institutions, and industry with a bachelor’s or
higher degree in mechanical engineering or any
other allied engineering disciplines.
Freelancers, inventors, and designers from
startups are also welcome.
• Undergraduate students who have completed
two years or four semesters of bachelor’s
programme in mechanical engineering.
Participants: Only 30 will be taken.
Minimum qualification:
BTech degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or allied Engineering; Current BTech
students who have completed third year are also welcome.
Course structure
Lectures and hands-on sessions will be in 3:1 ratio for a total of 36 hours plus
4 hours for discussions. Exercises, working with the state-of-the-art softwares,
creative design, prototyping, a written examination and a project presentation at the
end are part of the course. For interested participants who complete the course, a
personalized follow-up course for exploring own designs is also possible at a
mutually convenient time.
https://cce.iisc.ac.in/self-support-courses-2/compliant-mechanisms/
https://cce.iisc.ac.in/
Course content
Compliant Mechanisms rely on elastic deformation to transmit, transform, and transduce
motion, force, and energy. Although they may sometimes consist of rigid segments and
kinematic pairs (i.e., joints), they are mostly understood as deformable elastic continua that
can be made as single-piece entities that do not need assembly. Hence, they are suitable for
almost any size (macro to nano), material, and manufacturing process. Their advantages
include reduced manufacturing cost, improved precision due to the absence of backlash, no
need for lubrication or maintenance, compact size, etc. The challenges include reduced
mechanical advantage and efficiency, special attention to be paid for dynamic response and
fatigue design, and the right choice of materials for a practical application.
This course provides a comprehensive view of research and development in compliant
mechanisms spanning over the past four decades and covering the following:
Systematics: From kinematic pairs to elastic pairs, extended Grübler’s formula,
Maxwell-Calladine rule for mobility analysis
Energetics: Mechanical advantage and efficiency; static balancing; bistability; multi-stability;
zero- and negative-stiffness mechanical elements
Analysis: Geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis; pseudo-rigid-body model;
spring-mass-lever model; stiffness ellipsoids; beam constraint models; and non-dimensional
kinetoelastic models
Synthesis: Extended Burmester method; topology optimization; instant centre graphical
method; selection using feasibility maps; building-block method; hands-on compliant
mechanism kit
Applications: Hand-held tools; precision instruments; MEMS; biomedical devices
including surgical tools; automotive components; aerospace mechanisms including deployable
structures; human-assistive devices; continuum and soft robotics; and more.
Scan here to apply Contact Us
Centre for Continuing Education
Indian Institute of Science
Bengaluru 560 012, INDIA.
Phone: 91 080 2293 2055/2491/2247
office.cce@iisc.ac.in
