Topics Overview

Kinematics and dynamics are concepts in physics that focus on the study of motion. However, kinematics does not take into consideration the sources or the causes of movement. Basically, the field explores the geometry of motion (Urone et al.). On the other hand, dynamics entails the study of movement while emphasizing the probable causes of the same. Every object encounters some form of motion that is mostly caused by different forces. As such, dynamics studies the forces that are responsible for the motion of an object.

In kinematics, the properties of motion such as speed, velocity, and acceleration are studied. Speed is determined as the total amount of the distance covered divided by the time incurred. Velocity is a vector quantity and is determined by dividing the change in speed (displacement) by the amount of time incurred. Lastly, the acceleration refers to the change in velocity over a specified time. These properties are referred to as one-dimensional kinematics. On the other hand, dynamics focuses on the study of various forces that cause movement of an object.

Relationship to Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Technology

Kinematics and dynamics are relevant concepts in semi-autonomous and autonomous technology. Autonomous technology refers to devices that can function without the assistance of humans. Autonomous technology is encountered when the innovation can execute nearly all tasks, while semi-autonomous devices still rely on assistance from humans. Kinematics and dynamics concepts can be applied to autonomous innovations, specifically those that focus on the development of self-driving cars. This technology has become increasingly popular in the recent years with many major companies, such as Nvidia and Google, striving to get it on the market (Mercer and Macaulay). This connection lies in the estimation of the forces that can result in the change of speed, velocity, or acceleration. These changes can be informative in influencing the decisions on speed management as well as the development of devices that will control the speed and movement of the self-driving vehicles. The value of friction on the tires can also be estimated by employing the two concepts, presenting further opportunities in the efficient manufacturing of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.