Adaptive surface decomposition for the distance computation of arbitrarily shaped objects

We propose an adaptive decomposition algorithm to compute separation distances between arbitrarily shaped objects. Using the Gilbert-JohnsonKeerthi algorithm (GJK), we search for sub-mesh pairs whose convex hulls do not intersect. We show how to employ characteristics of GJK to guide a recursive decomposition of the objects in the case of intersections. We further show how to employ GJK to derive lower and upper distance bounds in nonintersecting cases. The bounds are used in a spatial subdivision scheme to enforce a twofold culling of the domain. Experiments show the applicability of the algorithm in dynamic scenarios with dynamically moving rigid and deformable objects.