Interpenetration free simulation of thin shell rigid bodies.

Area of Science:

• Computer Graphics
• Physics Simulation
• Computational Geometry

Background:

• Rigid body simulations often suffer from interpenetration issues, requiring complex post-processing.
• Existing methods struggle with thin shells, high velocities, and degenerate geometries.
• Ad hoc separation methods reduce simulation accuracy and robustness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust rigid body simulation algorithm that guarantees interpenetration-free states.
• To improve the accuracy and efficiency of collision and contact resolution.
• To enable stable simulation of challenging geometries like thin shells.

Main Methods:

• A two-step approach separating collision and contact resolution.
• An approximation to continuous collision detection and response for the first step.
• A novel fail-safe mechanism to resolve interpenetration without iteration.
• A contact model for thin shells based on instantaneous positions.

Main Results:

• Guaranteed interpenetration-free states at each simulation time step.
• Improved accuracy and robustness in rigid body dynamics.
• Successful handling of thin shells and high-speed object interactions.
• Elimination of the need for iterative convergence or ad hoc separation techniques.

Conclusions:

• The proposed algorithm significantly enhances rigid body simulation quality.
• The separation of collision and contact provides a more stable and predictable simulation framework.
• This method offers a robust solution for complex scenarios involving thin shells and high velocities.