Order (n) DISCOS for multibody systems with gear reduction

Recent developments in O(n) algorithms (where n is the number of bodies in the system) and parallel processing have drastically reduced the computer time needed to simulate systems involving many bodies. This paper presents a gear-reduction model for the O(n) version of DISCOS, a standard software package for simulation and analysis of flexible multibody systems. The gear-reduction model allows the accurate modeling of harmonic drives, which are commonly used in robot joints. The formulation has been implemented and validated with known results. The gear model can also be used for gear-train, rack-and-pinion, and screw joints.