Accelerate Cutting Tasks in Real-Time Interactive Cutting Simulation of Deformable Objects

Simulation speed is crucial for virtual reality simulators involving real-time interactive cutting of deformable objects, such as surgical simulators. Previous efforts to accelerate these simulations resulted in significant speed increases during noncutting periods, but only moderate ones during cutting periods. This article aims to further increase the latter. Three novel methods are proposed: first, GPU-based update of mass and stiffness matrices of composite finite elements, second, GPU-based collision processing between cutting tools and deformable objects, and third, redesigned CPU-GPU synchronization mechanisms combined with GPU acceleration for the update of the surface mesh. Simulation tests, including a complex hepatectomy simulation, are performed. Results show that our methods increase the simulation speed during cutting periods by 40.4%-56.5%.