Lego Robot Claw Mechanism - Michael Normand

This Lego claw mechanism is a theoretical gantry mount designed to grab objects at a distance via a single powered motor. The mechanism is built entirely out of Lego's found in a very unused box in my house. The claw comprises of a driving crank-slider mechanism and a driven system of parallel linkages that end with a gripper. In total, this mechanism is built with 8 linkages.

Figure 1, the claw in motion

Figure 2, the claw at rest

Overview

In order to better understand the mechanism, I will conduct the following analyses:

Position Analysis
Velocity Analysis
Mechanical Advantage Analysis

In the end, I would like to understand the mechanical advantage of the system to see how much gripping force the claw can generate given an input torque.