Dynamics of multibody systems /

Multibody systems refers to systems of interconnected mechanical bodies, possibly together with a control system. A wide variety of mechanical systems can be modeled in these terms, including many spacecraft, vehicles, mechanisms, and robots. The motion of a multibody system is described by a set of differential equations, often accompanied by some algebraic equations that must be satisfied by the relative motion of the interacting bodies. This book addresses the general problem of analyzing the behavior of such multibody systems by digital simulation, the implementation of their equations on a digital computer. With the option of a computer-based derivation of the system equations in mind, the authors devise a formal procedure for deriving equations of motion that can be translated conveniently into an efficient computer code. The result is a general procedure applicable to a broad class of multibody systems, constituting what usually is called a dynamical formalism. The authors are extremely well qualified and are authorities in this field. There is a good bibliography and also a detailed appendix of notations. Level: advanced undergraduate and graduate. -S. C. Anand, Clemson University