Project CHRONO is a high-performance C++ library for multiphysics and multibody dynamics simulations.
The tool addresses the challenge of modeling and simulating complex physical systems involving rigid bodies, deformable bodies, granular materials, and fluid-solid interactions. It formulates these problems using differential-algebraic equations, partial differential equations, differential variational inequalities, and ordinary differential equations depending on the problem class. The core library provides rigid and flexible multibody system simulation with optional modules extending capability to specialized domains like ground vehicle dynamics, robotics, granular dynamics, and fluid-solid interaction. Chrono also integrates sensor simulation for robotics applications through a ROS2 interface, supporting embodied AI and autonomous agent development.
The tool suits researchers and engineers in academia, industry, and government working on large-scale multiphysics problems. It is particularly valuable for projects requiring finite element analysis, vehicle simulation, terramechanics, or granular dynamics alongside multibody dynamics. The codebase is mature and stable with established support across these domains. Chrono provides language flexibility through C++, Python, and C# APIs, and runs on Linux, Windows, and macOS. The modular architecture allows users to adopt only the components needed for their specific problem class, from basic rigid body dynamics to advanced coupled multiphysics scenarios. Specialized parallel computing modules support multi-core, GPU, and distributed computing for large-scale simulations, with documented support for both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.
The project maintains a stable, well-tested codebase actively developed across multiple platforms and compilers. Documentation is comprehensive, including API references for multiple releases, Python interface guides, and specialized manuals for core and vehicle modules. The repository includes guidance for coding agents and external contributors, with template projects and demo materials available. Community support is available through a dedicated Google Groups forum.
