Mechanical singularity

In engineering, a mechanical singularity is a position or configuration of a mechanism or a machine where the subsequent behaviour cannot be predicted, or the forces or other physical quantities involved become infinite or nondeterministic.

When the underlying engineering equations of a mechanism or machine are evaluated at the singular configuration (if any exists), then those equations exhibit mathematical singularity.

Examples of mechanical singularities are gimbal lock and in static mechanical analysis, an under-constrained system.