Applications involving interactive modeling of deformable objects require highly iterative, floating-point intensive numerical simulations. As the complexity of these models increases, the computational power required for their simulation quickly grows beyond the capabilities of current general purpose systems. In this paper, we present the design of a low–cost, high–performance, specialized architecture to accelerate these simulations. Our aim is to use such specialized hardware to allow complex interactive physical modeling even on consumer-grade PCs. In this paper, we present details of the target algorithms, the HELLAS architecture, simulation results and lessons learned from our implementation. Categories and Subject Descriptors B.7.1 [Integrated Circuits]: Types and Design Styles— algorithms implemented in hardware General Terms Computer Graphics Keywords interactive physical modeling, deformable objects, floating– point intensive, specialized hardware
Shrirang M. Yardi, Benjamin Bishop, Thomas P. Kell