Multi-body Dynamics with Contacts: Theory, Method and Applications

In this paper, the research related to the multi-body dynamics with (frictional) contacts and some of its applications are reviewed, especially in the compatational aspect.If the deformation is negligible, rigid body is the simplest model of the multibody systems. It is just this simplification in modelling resulted in many computational problems especially in the analysis of the validity of the result, the uniqueness and existence of the solution. Generally two groups of approaches are used: accelerationbaled and velocity-based. Fast and precise simulation is still a challenge especially for the cases involving large number of bodies. Applications of multi-body dynamics Including robotics, computer graphics and the blomechanics analysis of human body are also reviewed.