Collision detection algorithm of a continuous type using spherical extreme vertex diagrams

Abstract

Most collision detection algorithms are ones of a discrete type which utilize convexity and local coherence to verify the closest points. However, the incremental algorithms have such critical drawbacks like failure to detect high-speed collisions and dependence on the time complexity on the time step size of animation. In this paper, in order to find a new method which can resolve the drawbacks, we are concerned with a more restricted but nontrivial version of the problem: given a fixed infinite plane H and a moving convex polyhedron P, compute their collision time. Our algorithm utilizes the spherical extreme vertex diagram that is the embedding of the dual graph P onto the Gauss sphere. Exploiting the diagram, we are able to efficiently compute the sequence of the extreme vertices v(i)s, i = 1,..., m and find the time interval [t(i), t(i+1)] during which v(i) is the extreme vertex of P. With the sequences of the consecutive time intervals and extreme vertices, we construct a distance function between P and H. Hence, we can compute their collision time within a given tolerance by applying the interval Newton method to the distance function. Moreover, the total time complexity is independent of the time step size of animation. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.