Dimensional synthesis of mechanisms using Differential Evolution with auto-adaptive control parameters

This paper presents how an algorithm based on Differential Evolution (DE) with no constant control parameters solves the dimensional synthesis of four and six-bar mechanisms for path generation.The selection of values of DE control parameters is not always an easy and obvious job. In this paper a DE with auto-adaptive control parameters is proposed which includes a new mutation operator to solve stagnation in local minima and, on top of all this, the choice of a control parameters value in a simple way.For a set of 6 representative cases related to dimensional synthesis from bibliography, the performance of this new DE algorithm, called Ingeniería Mecánica Málaga (IMMa) Optimization Algorithm with Self-Adaptive Technique, IOAs-at, has been tested. An explanation of how the new mutation operator works is also included. The results obtained, compared with other synthesis techniques from literature, present significant improvements for every case studied.The new version does not require control input parameters to be chosen by the user. Those are auto-tuned during the algorithm execution, that is, we use an algorithm with adaptive control parameters and it continues being easy-to-use, robust and fast.

► New mutation operator which improves the optimization procedures.
► This operator allows to find the correct optimum and not to stop in local minima.
► We present a technique to tune the control parameters during the run here.
► IOAs-at is an algorithm with auto-adaptive control parameters.
► The IOAs-at presents good behaviour for whatever kind of case studied.