Efficiency Comparison of Multibody Dynamic Analysis Algorithms for Real-time Simulation

Abstract

In this study we are comparing the efficiency of several multibody dynamic analysis algorithms; the recursive, the conventional velocity transformation, and the modified velocity transformation algorithms, which are relevant to the real-time simulation of mechanical multibody systems. For that purpose each algorithm is summarized and the number of computations required to proceed each step of the algorithm is calculated. The modified velocity transformation algorithm is turned out to be an O(N-3) algorithm for serial structure open-chain systems and an O(N) algorithm for parallel structure open-chain systems. Thus the algorithm becomes most efficient among three algorithms for all cases of parallel structure systems and the serial structure systems with N<16. The excellence of the algorithm is maintained even for the treelike structure open-chain systems with N greater than or equal to 16 if the systems are parallel enough.