Ferdinand Freudenstein (1926 – 2006)

Dr. Freudenstein was known as the father of modern kinematics, ushering in the programmed, digital computation era in the kinematic synthesis of mechanisms. He had great influence in the field, and many of his students, and his students’ students, continue to research and teach kinematics. Professor Larry Yao, departmental chair of Mechanical Engineering, paid respect at the funeral: "Ferdinand’s biggest legacy is nearly 200 Ph.D. children and grandchildren." Well over a hundred universities around the world have faculty from the Freudenstein family tree.

Former students were saddened to hear the news and offered their thoughts on Dr. Freudenstein. Professor Bahram Ravani, from the University of California, Davis, said, “Professor Freudenstein was a giant in the field of mechanical design with many very significant and lasting contributions. He was a true scholar, a respected mentor and a valued colleague. He will be missed in the academic community.” Professor Costas Grigoropoulos, from University of California, Berkeley, said, “I took all his courses and still have his excellent notes. I remember him with great admiration and respect as a true giant in his field and also very fondly as a wonderful person.” Professor Art Erdman of the University of Minnesota reflected, “He was a great leader and a wonderful person! He certainly has been a strong mentor to me and countless others.”

Anyone who has solved any robotic problem must have come across solving the famous Freudenstein Equation once a while. The equation is the trigonometric equation that is very intuitive by now of: a*sin(th) + b*cos(th) = c, where th is the angle to be solved, and a, b, and c are constants. The half angle (tangent) transformation is (often) used to solve this equation.