Intersection Test for Collision Detection in Particle Systems

Evaggelia-Aggeliki Karabassi, Georgios Papaioannou, and Theoharis Theoharis
University of Athens

Alexander Boehm
Deceased

This paper appears in issue Volume 4, Number 1.
Purchase this issue from the akpeters.com web site.

Abstract

We present a method for detecting collisions between a system of spherical particles and an environment composed of triangles. The proposed algorithm takes into account each particle’s volume and is based on an intersection test between a triangle and a cylinder with spherical caps (the trajectory of a particle). The algorithm also efficiently calculates a close estimate of the point of intersection, which is necessary for collision detection.

Author Information

Evaggelia-Aggeliki Karabassi, Dept of Informatics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis15784 Athens, Greece aggeliki@di.uoa.gr

Georgios Papaioannou, Dept of Informatics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis15784 Athens, Greece georgep@di.uoa.gr

Theoharis Theoharis, Dept of Informatics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis15784 Athens, Greece theotheo@di.uoa.gr

Alexander Boehm

Source Code

Download C source code for the algorithm.

Figures

The following figures from the paper show results using the algorithm in a particle simulator. Click on any thumbnail to load the full image.

Figure 8 (a). Empty room.

Figure 8 (b). Room covered with blobs, using the algorithm described in this paper. (2,912 particles)

Figure 8 (c). Room covered with blobs, using a ray/triangle intersection algorithm.

Figure 9. A grid covered with slime. (121,2000 particles)

Figure 10. A house covered with snow. (153,6000 particles)

BibTeX Entry

@article{KarabassiEtAl99,
  author = "Evaggelia-Aggeliki Karabassi and Georgios Papaioannou and Theoharis Theoharis and Alexander Boehm",
  title = "Intersection Test for Collision Detection in Particle Systems",
  journal = "journal of graphics, gpu, and game tools",
  volume = "4",
  number = "1",
  pages = "25-37",
  year = "1999",
}