Modeling and implementation of elastic object manipulation in virtual space.

A new technology that has been used to construct virtual environments in the computer, where objects behave as if they were real ones, has been drawing attention. This paper studies virtual manipulation of elastic objects as a fundamental example of nonrigid materials. An elastic object modeled by a combination of material points and springs can be deformed with a rigid cylindrical manipulator controlled by a mouse in imitation of actual actions such as hitting or thrusting. The dynamic response of the elastic object in a collision with the manipulator is generated by a numerical method of solution based on physics and is displayed in real time. An improved spring model is presented in which the amplitude is restricted by elastic energy when the elastic object receives extensive external force. The results of implementation show the effectiveness of the spring model and interactivity of the system. © 1998 Scripta Technica. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 81(4): 42–50, 1998 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]