D.J. Braun and M. Goldfarb, Simulation of Constrained Mechanical Systems – Part II: Explicit Numerical Integration, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, vol. 79, issue 4, 041018, 2012.
This paper presents an explicit integration method for differential algebraic equations in simulations of constrained mechanical systems. Building on the equation of motion introduced in Part I, the method discretizes the formulation using explicit ordinary differential equation schemes. It is demonstrated on two nontrivial examples, showing accurate long-term simulations without the need for iterative constraint correction. Unlike implicit DAE solvers, the proposed approach is simple to implement and well suited for real-time applications.
Why it matters: Many constrained system simulations rely on computationally heavy implicit solvers. This work provides an explicit, non-iterative alternative that is both efficient and accurate, making it especially valuable for real-time robotics and engineering applications.