Improvements of the Voxmap-PointShell Algorithm - Fast Generation of Haptic Data-Structures

The Voxmap-PointShellTM (VPS) Algorithm is a haptic rendering algorithm able to compute collision responses with 1 kHz update-rates with arbitrarily complex scenarios. This work introduces fast algorithms to generate the two haptic data-structures used by the VPS algorithm: voxmaps - voxelized volume structures for static objects - and pointshells - point-clouds describing moving objects - . For generating voxmaps, collision tests based on the Separating Axis Theorem are carried out. On the other hand, pointshells are generated utilizing optimization strategies to place points uniformly on the surface of the objects. The improvements in performance and quality obtained compared to the previous generating algorithms from DLR are included, all of them carried out on virtual car models provided by Volkswagen and artificial models