A multibody system is an assembly of bodies or parts in which some or all parts move relative to one another. These assemblies may be simple or complex and may be composed of all rigid bodies or a combination of rigid and flexible parts. The parts are constrained to each other by a set of kinematically admissible constraints modeled as joints.

Common examples of multibody systems include land transportation systems, aviation systems, nautical systems, and robotic systems.

The components of a multibody system may experience finite-strain effects and large displacements and/or large rotations.

Dynamic analysis of a multibody system allows one to understand the interaction of the parts, evaluate the stress and deformation fields in the parts, and calculate the fatigue life of critical components.

For further information about multibody systems, see the Multibody Analysis Guide.