The impulse graph: A new dynamic structure for global collisions

In interactive virtual environments and dynamic simulations, collisions bet ween complex objects and articulated bodies may occur simultaneously at mul tiple points or regions of interference. Many solutions to the collision re sponse problem are formulated based on the local pair-wise contact dynamics . In this article, we present a new solution to the global interactions and dynamic response between multiple structures in a three-dimensional enviro nment. This is based on a new dynamic impulse graph that tracks the reactio n forces through the entire system and gives a global view of all the inter actions in a multibody system.