Simulation of Multibody Systems

Detailed Description

Simulation of Multibody Systems with Frictional Contact

MultibodyPlant offers two different modalities to model mechanical systems in time. These are:

• Discrete Models for Simulation (currently the preferred method for robustness and speed),
• Continuous Models for Simulation,

In the following sections we'll only provide a very limited distinction between a continuous and a discrete system. A complete discussion of the subject, including the modeling of hybrid systems is beyond the scope of this section and thus interested readers are referred to the documentation for Simulator.

As of today (May 2024), for multibody problems involving contact with friction, discrete solvers in Drake perform significantly better than error-controlled integration methods.

Modules
	Discrete Models for Simulation
	Continuous Models for Simulation