Easy real-time collision detection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a GPU-based, distance field collision detection method that is easy to implement, precise, and adaptable to various scenarios, including particle systems, with some shape restrictions.

Contribution

It presents a novel, GPU-accelerated collision detection scheme using graphics pipeline techniques that is simple to implement and versatile for different object shapes and environments.

Findings

Efficient collision detection comparable to FCL.

Supports complex scenes with advanced GPU features.

Applicable to particle systems with adaptations.

Abstract

This article presents an easy distance field-based collision detection scheme to detect collisions of an object with its environment. Through the clever use of back-face culling and z-buffering, the solution is precise and very easy to implement. Since the complete scheme relies on the graphics pipeline, the collision detection is performed by the GPU. It is easy to use and only requires the meshes of the object and the scene; it does not rely on special representations. It can natively handle collision with primitives emitted directly on the pipeline. Our scheme is efficient and we expose many possible variants (especially an adaptation to certain particle systems). The main limitation of our scheme is that it imposes some restrictions on the shape of the considered objects - but not on their environment. We evaluate our scheme by first, comparing with the FCL, second, testing a more complete scene (involving geometry shader, tessellation and compute shader) and last, illustrating with a particle system.