Multibody simulation consists of analyzing the dynamic behavior of a system of interconnected bodies composed of flexible and/or rigid components. The bodies may be constrained with respect to each other via a kinematically admissible set of constraints modeled as joints. These systems can represent an automobile, a space structure with antenna deployment capabilities, an aircraft as an assemblage of rigid and flexible parts, a robot with manipulator arms, and so on. In all such cases, the components may undergo large rotation, large displacement, and finite-strain effects.

This animated model of an aircraft landing gear is a typical example of a multibody simulation: